Patriots’ Coach Jerod Mayo Continues to Make His Case as a Notable NFL Head Coaching Candidate

The 35-year-old former Patriots defensive standout is among those prominently listed on NFL Media’s annual ‘watch list’ of rising head-coaching candidates.

New England Patriots inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo is enjoying great success in his third season on Bill Belichick’s coaching staff. Since March 2019, the former Pats’ defensive standout has been putting the lessons he learned on the field into action while teaching the next generation of New England linebackers.

Through 10 games in the 2021 season, the Patriots currently sit at 6-4, making a strong push for a spot in the playoffs. The Pats defense continues to be their greatest strength, raking sixth in overall defense, and second in the league in points allowed. Football Outsiders also has the Patriots ranked fifth in DVOA entering their Week Eleven matchup with the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday.

As the Patriots inside linebackers coach, Mayo is a key component for New England’s success on the preventive side of the ball. Not only has he impressed his fellow coaches, Mayo has caught the eye of many throughout the league. Many consider him to be a potential top candidate for future head coaching vacancies in the NFL.

In fact, his opportunity may come sooner than later.

On Wednesday, Mayo was prominently listed on NFL Media’s annual ‘Watch List’ of rising head-coaching candidates (under age 45), compiled by Tom Pelissero. As a result, the former Patriots linebacker may be quite the hot head-coaching commodity heading into 2022.

During this past offseason, Mayo received an interview with the Philadelphia Eagles for their vacant head coaching job. Though he was not chosen, Mayo remains undaunted in his pursuit of what he describes as his ultimate goal. Pelissero wrote the following, regarding Mayo’s potential coaching attributes:

“Patriots ILB coach Jerod Mayo, 35: Still in just his third year in coaching, Mayo already has been on the radar for a couple of years as a legitimate candidate. The Eagles interviewed him for their head coaching job in January and came away impressed with his rare leadership traits. Before going into coaching, Mayo played eight seasons for Bill Belichick in New England, running the defense and relaying the signals for most of that time, including as a rookie to the veteran likes of Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi and Vince Wilfork. He now serves as the de facto coordinator of the NFL's No. 2-ranked scoring defense. His pedigree and makeup are intriguing.”

Mayo has never hid his desire to seek greater coaching opportunities in the NFL. Prior to the start of the 2021 season, Mayo addressed the topic with reporters, indicating that obtaining the top spot on an NFL coaching staff is definitely on his list of career goals.

“I definitely have aspirations to be a head coach,” Mayo told reporters in August. “But, right now, I’m really focused on this team. We have a great head coach here in New England, but that is the goal. I think I can do it, well, I should say, I know I can do it, I’m just waiting for my chance for it to come to fruition.”

Mayo is justifiably confident in his abilities. After all, he has been widely praised for his ability to connect with his players and teach them the fundamentals required for success in the NFL. However, he may have also become keenly aware that his path to becoming a head coach in the NFL has already been trod by his former Patriots’ teammate. Like Mayo, he too started out as a linebackers coach; learning the nuances of pro-level coaching while biding his time to obtain that coveted head position.

That former teammate’s name is Mike Vrabel.

Like Mayo, Vrabel was a standout Patriots’ linebacker for many seasons in Foxboro. Following a fourteen-year career in the NFL as a player, Vrabel entered the next phase of his football journey as a coach. The former Patriots linebacker spent three seasons on the Ohio State defensive staff, under then-coach Urban Meyer. In 2014, Vrabel was hired by the Houston Texans as a linebackers coach. During his three seasons in that role, Vrabel helped to mold the Texans defense into a top-three unit in yards allowed.

In January 2016, several news outlets reported that the San Francisco 49ers had offered Vrabel their defensive coordinator job. However, the timing was not quite right. Vrabel declined the offer and remained in Houston. In January 2017 the Texans named Vrabel as their defensive coordinator. Vrabel’s continued success in the right environment in Houston led to him being offered the position of head coach of the Tennessee Titans in 2018. During that period, he has led the Titans to a 39-23 record (both regular-season and playoffs) including an appearance in the 2019 AFC Championship Game against the eventual Super Bowl Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.

While Mayo played alongside Vrabel in New England for only one season (2008), he could take a page from the manual which the current Titans head coach has provided. Vrabel patiently remained in the proper system, allowing him to accentuate his strengths. When the time came, he achieved his goal.

Despite his future aspirations, Mayo remains intently focused on the 2021 season with the Patriots. Still, he realizes that each practice, and each game, is another opportunity for him to grow as a coach.

“Personally speaking, I think I’m better as a coach,” Mayo said when asked about his growth in his position. “I always say, the players win games, and the coaches lose games. It’s our responsibility as coaches to really simplify the concepts so everyone in the room can understand.”

Ultimately, Mayo will continue to prepare the Patriots linebackers as best he can throughout the remainder of the season. Their success on the field will only help to increase his individual professional success. Like Vrabel before him, he recognizes the value of remaining in a strong organization until the time for which he has been waiting presents itself. All the while, Jerod Mayo is gaining valuable experience that will better prepare him for life at the next level.