Ohio State Buckeyes Could Target Former Patriots HC for DC Position

The Ohio State Buckeyes could target a former New England Patriots head coach for defensive coordinator.

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo against the Arizona Cardinals in the second half at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes need a new defensive coordinator. After Jim Knowles chose to leave Columbus for a job with the Big Ten rival Penn State Nittany Lions, Ryan Day will need to replace him.

Where could Ohio State turn to in order to find their new defensive coordinator? There are a lot of potential candidates.

One intriguing candidate has been brought up and is a former head coach of the New England Patriots in the NFL.

Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors has suggested that Jerod Mayo could end up being a candidate for the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator opening.

"Considering Day hired not one but two former NFL head coaches (Bill O’Brien, then Kelly) when filling its offensive coordinator position last offseason, it stands to reason that such experience could be a valued commodity in Day’s defensive coordinator search, too," Hope wrote.

"Mayo’s tenure as the New England Patriots’ head coach was short-lived, as he was replaced by former Ohio State star Mike Vrabel after just one season in which the Patriots went 4-13. Before that, however, Mayo was highly regarded as one of the NFL’s top young assistant coaches during his five years as the Patriots’ linebackers coach, serving as the de facto co-defensive coordinator for multiple years in that role."

Hope did acknowledge that there is no guarantee Mayo would be interested in the position. However, it would be worth placing a call to him if Day had interest.

"It’s uncertain whether Mayo would be interested in coaching at the collegiate level, as he’s only coached in the NFL, but he is still looking for a new opportunity."

Mayo was fired immediately following the Patriots' final game of the 2024 NFL season. He had a rough go of it as New England's head coach and could rebuild his name by finding success as Ohio State's defensive coordinator.

It is an intriguing option that should be considered.

That being said, there are many coaches around the nation in college football and the NFL who would love an opportunity to be the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator. It is a prestigious job that could very well be a career builder for many different coaches.

Day will likely move fairly quickly to round out his coaching staff. Fans shouldn't have to wait too long to find out who Ohio State decides on for the job.