Patriots Continue To Interview Coordinators, Still Looking For O’Brien Replacement
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Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said on WEEI on Monday that this would be another busy week as he settles into his new role, and it sounds like they’re still exploring their options as he builds out his coaching staff.
The departure of Bill O’Brien to Ohio State essentially signaled they were looking to go in a different direction on offense and so far, some of the names that have come out continue to point to significant changes in 2024.
Among one of the names that have come up is former tight ends coach Nick Caley, who moved on from New England a season ago and spent 2023 working with Sean McVay with the Rams as their tight ends coach.
Caley reportedly interviewed with the club on Monday, which Mayo “confirmed” on WEEI.
Mayo is also set to speak with another member of the Rams staff, with offensive coach Zac Robinson also set to be interviewed. Robinson, who has been the Rams passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, has been a pretty popular name among offensive coaches so far this offseason.
He’s garnered a fair amount of interest, with the Bears, Saints, Steelers, and Raiders among other teams in addition to New England who have requested to speak with him.
Another name on Mayo’s list is Bengals quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher. Pitcher is already someone who some in Cincinnati believe could replace offensive coordinator Brian Callahan after he was hired away by the Titans as their head coach to replace Mike Vrabel, but it looks like they won’t be the only ones looking for his services.
Pitcher is expected to meet virtually with the Patriots on Tuesday, and Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that he has in-person meetings scheduled with both the Raiders and Saints later this week.
On Monday, Mayo explained the reasons behind why the team hasn’t scheduled anyone in-house to this point, saying that the club is trying to get a feel for the various candidates before bringing them in.
“Honestly, these interviews … we’re just starting the process, so they’ve all been Zooms so far,” said Mayo. “We’re going to bring in people this week. At the same time, you want to hire people that you like and that are good at their job.”
“The Zoom interviews are more philosophical questions, not really X’s and O’s. Then when they come in here, that’s when the X’s and O’s can go on.”
The league also had some restrictions, with in-person interviews not being permitted through the divisional round of the playoffs. With those out of the way, Monday opened that window.
Wherever this search ultimately ends up, Mayo won’t be finished there as offense isn’t the only side of the ball they’re looking at making changes. Mayo’s also expected to continue exploring his options on his defensive staff as well as on special teams, having also already conducted interviews with various candidates.
What that means for linebackers coach Stephen Belichick or safeties coach Brian Belichick is the next obvious question. However, Mayo said Monday that he’s had discussions with both to stay on. Given what’s currently going on with their father, it’s hard to say whether that will be the case.
“We have a great relationship,” said Mayo. “They have the option to stay. They have the option also to go with their father if they would want to. Still kind of going through it. I have a good relationship with both of them. They’re great coaches. We’ll see what happens.”
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