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(PHOTO: Jan 17, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft (left) and head coach Jerod Mayo (right) enter the auditorium for a press conference to announce Mayo's hiring as head coach at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports) We are in Phase One of the Mayo era, and he is conducting interviews with quite a few coaches for the Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams coordinator positions.
Bill O’Brien is moving on to Ohio State. This allows Jerod Mayo to put his own man in the Offensive Coordinator position. The removal of O’Brien also signals the end of the Ray Perkins / Ron Erhardt Offense the Patriots have used for 40 years. Perkins is a former WR and Offensive Coordinator for the Patriots. In between he was the Head Coach of the NY Giants and hired Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Romeo Crennell and eventually Ron Earhardt. From 1973-1981 Earhardt steadily grew in responsibility with the Patriots eventually becoming Head Coach. The Patriots were the last team in the NFL to use this offense once Josh McDaniels was fired as coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Perhaps if McDaniel is hired by Bill Belichick in Atlanta, that offense will be used again.
I am not going to rehash the leading candidates for Offensive Coordinator, as others have done this on the site. I just want to add that Zac Robinson would be my 1st choice and I would like to see the Patriots move quickly because Robinson has already been interviewed by Chicago and New Orleans. Pittsburgh and Las Vegas have requested interviews.
Since 2021, all 32 teams in the NFL have replaced their Offensive Coordinator. That is an incredible stat.
On the Defensive side the odds are in favor of DeMarcus Covington being elevated to the Defensive Coordinator position over any outside candidates. Covington is well liked by the players, and his position group was one of the best in the league. The Patriots defense held opponents to 3.3 yards per attempt, #1 in the league and the DL was big part of that. Covington had an interview with Arizona Cardinals in 2023 for their Defensive Coordinator. He also served as the Defensive Coordinator in the Resse’s Senior Bowl in 2023 under the “Coach Up” program. This year, Troy Brown is the Offensive Coordinator for the game. If the Patriots don’t choose Covington, I think they will lose him to another team and that would be a mistake.
The Team has already interviewed Tem Lukabu, the Carolina well respected Linebackers coach. You may remember Lukabu’s name since he was Boston College Head Coach Jeff Hafley’s Defensive Coordinator for three years. Evan when he was at BC, he was considered an up-and-coming defensive coach.
The team has also done a Zoom interview with Denver Defensive Backs Coach Christian Parker. Parker, 32, is considered a rising star on Denver’s staff and he might one day become a head coach. Parker joined Denver’s staff as a DBs coach in 2021 after serving as a defensive quality control coach with the Green Bay Packers from 2019-2020. Before that, Parker worked at four colleges from 2013-2018, including Notre Dame and Texas A&M before making a jump to the NFL.
Michael Hodges the Linebackers coach for New Orleans has also completed an interview via Zoom. NFL Network’s Ian Rappaport reports that “the New England Patriots have scheduled an interview with Michael Hodges, the New Orleans Saints linebackers coach”. The article from USA Today’s Saints coverage states “This could be a big loss”. I like it when the team losing the player stated that it could be a big loss.
“Hodges has been an important part of Dennis Allen’s staff in recent years. He’s been responsible for scouting and developing draft picks like D’Marco Jackson (2022), Pete Werner (2021), Zack Baun (2020), and Kaden Elliss (2019) as well as undrafted linebackers like Nephi Sewell and Andrew Dowell. He’s also played a big part in helping Demario Davis perform at a high level late in his career”.
Gerald Alexander a Defensive Backs coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers has interviewed with the Patriots for the Defensive Coordinator position according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
Alexander started coaching in 2013 as an undergraduate assistant at Arkansas State. He then took a position in Washington as a graduate assistant. Next, he took an intern position with the Tennessee Titans. Alexander went back to the college ranks as a DB coach for Indiana State. Another internship in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers followed in 2015. He flopped back to the college ranks at Montana State for a year and then joined California from 2017 -2019. Alexander has been with the Steelers since the start of the 2022 season, working as their assistant defensive backs coach. Prior to Pittsburgh, he was the defensive backs coach for the Miami Dolphins from 2020-2021 under Brian Flores.
I need to add the Belichick boys to this list. Stephen and Jerod Mayo were co-defensive play callers last year. It has been reported that their relationship is solid and it’s not just a given that Steve Belichick will leave even if his father gets the Atlanta job. Both brothers Steve and Brian the defensive backs coach, have been offered coaching positions. The thought is that Steven will be given the title of Assistant Head Coach.
For the Special Teams Coordinator Thomas McGaughey, the former New York Giants ST coordinator has been interviewed. The key thing with McGaughey is that he is available and not under contract. The other candidates would have to be let out of their contract for a lateral move.
Marquice Williams is presently the Atlanta Special Teams coach. The Falcons fired their coach and have interviewed several candidates for Head Coach, including Bill Belichick. It is interesting to note that the Falcons denied the New York Giants the opportunity to interview Willaims but apparently have given the Patriots the go ahead. Last year Williams served as Head Coach of the East squad against the Patriots coaches in the East-West Shrine game.
The final Special Teams candidate is Jeremy Springer for the LA Rams staff. Springer just completed his second season on McVay’s staff in Los Angeles. Prior to joining the Rams, Springer worked on the collegiate level at Marshall, Arizona, Texas A&M, and UTEP. He also played college football at UTEP.
Greg Bedard stated on the Felger and Mazz program on WBZ 98.5 Sports Hub radio that Jonathan Kraft and Robyn Glaser are interviewing the coaching candidates. I find this very hard to believe. They may be sitting in on the interviews, but I don’t think they are actually selecting the coaches for Jerod Mayo’s staff. That would be too much meddling by the Front Office with the football operations. I could see them having input towards the selection of the General Manager, but I don’t see that decision coming until after the draft. I know they are collaborating on the prospects, but they need someone to be the point person.
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