New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo is leaving no stone unturned in an effort to fill the offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator positions on his staff.
He has already interviewed multiple candidates for each job, and he will continue to work his way through the process until he settles on three candidates of his choosing.
Sure, the Patriots had a talent deficiency problem in the final years of Bill Belichick, but it’s also important to get the right coaching staff in place to ensure everything flows smoothly under the new regime.
This is a transitional period for both players and coaches in New England, and Mayo’s top priority is to make sure he gets it right. Here are the coaching candidates that have either already been interviewed by the Patriots or scheduled to be interviewed at a future date:
Offensive coordinator
- Nick Caley (Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach)
- Zac Robinson (Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator/quarterbacks coach)
- Dan Pitcher (Cincinnati Bengals quarterbacks coach)
The Bill O’Brien reunion was short-lived for the Patriots with the veteran offensive coordinator taking his talents back to college football to join coach Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
His exit left a massive void for the Patriots with the most problematic unit on the team. Real change for New England starts with hiring the right offensive coordinator.
Defensive coordinator
- DeMarcus Covington (Patriots defensive line coach)
- Michael Hodges (New Orleans Saints linebackers coach)
- Tem Lukabu (Carolina Panthers outside linebackers coach)
- Christian Parker (Denver Broncos defensive backs coach)
The Patriots plan on officially hiring a defensive coordinator with Bill Belichick no longer micromanaging those responsibilities.
DeMarcus Covington and maybe even Steve Belichick make the most sense as strong potential in-house candidates, but there are a plethora of other talented options out there to help with the continued defensive success in New England.
Special teams coordinator
- Marquice Williams (Atlanta Falcons special teams coordinator)
- Jeremy Springer (Los Angeles Rams assistant special teams coach)
- Thomas McGaughey (New York Giants special teams coordinator)
The Patriots used to be a team that prided itself on great special teams play, but they could clearly use a reboot in that area, along with the offense. There is no official word on the status of current Patriots special teams coordinator Cameron Achord, but it can’t be a good sign for him that the team is exploring other options.
