Much like he did in his playing days, New England Patriots assistant coach Jerod Mayo has caught on quickly in his new profession.
As a player, Mayo was named captain in just his second season and held that title for seven consecutive seasons until his retirement in 2016. As a coach, it took Mayo just two seasons to receive interviews for head coaching jobs around the league, something he’s earned in each of the last two years.
Those successes have lead to increased recognition nationally, with his latest accolade being his placement on Lindsay Jones of the The Athletic’s “NFL 40 under 40” list.
Here’s what Jones wrote about Mayo:
Job titles are nebulous in New England and Bill Belichick is reluctant to share specific details about who does what with the Patriots’ defense. It’s clear, though, that league power brokers view Mayo as a future head coach despite the fact he has been an NFL assistant for just three seasons.
Mayo, who played for Belichick for eight years and retired after the 2015 season, interviewed with the Broncos and Raiders for their head coaching vacancies earlier this year. He’ll likely be a popular candidate in future hiring cycles as teams look for coaches similar to Tennessee’s Mike Vrabel — cerebral, strong leaders who relate well to players.
Still just 36-years old, Mayo has been careful about what jobs he says he would consider taking. His three interviews in the last two seasons are indicative of a coach who has earned the respect of those around the league.
A self professed “New England guy,” it’s safe to say the only way he finds himself coaching outside of Foxborough, will be as the head man in charge.
