It’s a lesson usually learned the hard way: you never want to be the guy who immediately follows the guy. The guy, in the New England Patriots case, was Bill Belichick, the most successful head coach in the history of the NFL. A year ago, after 24 years of leading the New England Patriots dynasty, Belichick left the team.
The guy who followed him and hoped to fill Belichick’s very big shoes was longtime Patriot Jerod Mayo. He was a linebacker in New England for eight years, a linebackers coach for five years, and the head man with the Patriots this past season. It was his only season as the head coach, having been fired on Sunday just hours after getting his fourth win of the season.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft wanted Mayo to work out. A couple of years ago, when Mayo was getting interviews for better jobs with other teams, Kraft signed Mayo to an extension that guaranteed that he would be the head coach when Belichick left. So to have a years-long plan blow up after just one year is a disappointment for everyone involved.
The roster is severely lacking talent, the culture of winning has been replaced by back-to-back four-win seasons, and this is not a fan base just satisfied with a playoff berth. Still, because of Kraft’s willingness to spend and the play of rookie quarterback Drake Maye, this is one of the most coveted open head coaching jobs in the NFL.
Next Patriots Head Coach Odds
Mike Vrabel (+200)
Mike Vrabel has everything desirable about Mayo – a history with the Patriots – while also covering for Mayo’s deficiencies. Mayo’s entire career was spent in New England. He didn’t have connections outside the team, and he’d never hired a coaching staff.
Vrabel knows the Patriots way, as a former player and Super Bowl champion under Belichick. But he also spent six seasons as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, where he won Coach of the Year in 2021. Kraft knows him and likes him, Patriots fans love him, and he would be an impactful head coaching hire.
Ben Johnson (+800)
If you have a good young quarterback in today’s NFL, pairing him with a great young offensive mind seems to be the trend. Ben Johnson is the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, orchestrating one of the best offenses in the NFL, and helping Jared Goff to become one of the game’s best quarterbacks.
Johnson could have taken a head coaching position last year, ultimately deciding to spend another season in Detroit. But with good young quarterbacks available at two of this year’s job openings – Maye in New England and Caleb Williams with the Chicago Bears – it’s hard to imagine Johnson still being an assistant coach next season.
Brian Flores (+1000)
Brian Flores is the former head coach of the Miami Dolphins, a former assistant coach in New England, and the architect of the current Minnesota Vikings defense that ranked fifth in points allowed this season.
He’s respected, successful, and he has earned himself another chance to be a head coach in this league.
Aaron Glenn (+1000)
In 2012, Aaron Glenn was the general manager of the Houston Stallions, an indoor football team in a Texas-only league. Some 13 years later, he’s a top candidate to be an NFL head coach.
For the last four years, he has been the defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, one of the first hires by Dan Campbell after he was named the Lions head coach. Campbell said of his DC, “He’s got it. His ability to communicate, to relate, to push, to grind, to love, demand, he’s got it all.”
Liam Coen (+1250)
Liam Coen was a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams, and he is the current offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There, he was the shepherd of the best season of Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield’s career. Coen grew up in Rhode Island and played quarterback at UMass, giving him instant New England and Boston credibility.
Kliff Kingsbury (+1250)
The Patriots were the first of Kliff Kingsbury’s eight professional football stops as a player. As a coach, he was the head man and offensive brain of the Arizona Cardinals when Kyler Murray won Offensive Rookie of the Year. Now, he is the offensive coordinator with the Washington Commanders, working with presumed Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels.
With over 25 years of experience as a distinguished sports writer for renowned platforms such as Fox Sports and ESPN, Kyle Garlett is a sports betting specialist who has been at the forefront of documenting the global surge in sports betting and online gaming. Based in Denver, Colorado, Kyle hosts an NFL betting YouTube show and podcast. Kyle also has two sports books published by HarperCollins.
Kyle graduated the Azusa Pacific University in 1996 with a B.A. Degree in Communication and Journalism.
