Four Patriots Head Coaching Candidates After Jerod Mayo Firing

FOXBORO, Mass. — The Patriots will soon embark on a journey to find their third head coach in the last three seasons.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft made the semi-surprising announcement that he would be moving on from head coach Jerod Mayo just hours following a season-ending victory against the Buffalo Bills.

It’s expected that he’s going to conduct a full search this time around, as the statement partly mentioned the 83-year-old’s quick decision last offseason came as a result of his fear of losing Mayo. New England won’t be as hasty this time, so let’s discuss a few potential names that will become familiar over the coming weeks:

Mike Vrabel

Vrabel has been the most popular candidate floated for numerous reasons, and we’ve already heard that he’s at the top of the list at One Patriot Place. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport immediately mentioned his name regarding potential replacements for Mayo, and it’s easy to see the reason why.

Vrabel has experience coaching elsewhere, and found tons of success as the head man for the Tennessee Titans. New England is familiar to him, as he previously won three championships with the organization as a player. The Patriots have a clear cultural issue, and this is the one man known for his ability to establish a great culture.

It’s obvious, but might it be too obvious? Kraft could see similarities between Vrabel and Mayo and decide to look elsewhere, but for now, he’s at the top of our list.

Ben Johnson

If Vrabel is the candidate with the highest floor, then Johnson is the candidate with the highest ceiling.

The Detroit Lions have reached never-before-seen heights under his offensive leadership, with his creativity and success heading up that unit having many fans in New England salivating about his potential with Drake Maye. It’s kind of a (expletive)-show around here, though. Would he want any part of that?

Brian Flores

Flores has completely revamped his image in the few seasons since he was unceremoniously fired by the Miami Dolphins, which has been enough for his name to come up when discussing openings around the NFL.

Flores is another potential candidate who has familiarity with the franchise, having spent 11 seasons as a member of Bill Belichick’s staff. The Patriots could see what he’s doing with an undermanned Minnesota Vikings defense and decide that’s enough to take a closer look.

Liam Coen

Coen seemingly checks all the boxes.

The Patriots will be looking for someone who can come in and turn the offense around, whether that be the head coach or one of his assistants. Coen is doing a pretty good job down with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who rank third in total offense this season. The Patriots likely would value someone who comes from one of the league’s more popular coaching trees, whether it be Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan. Coen coached with the former. The Patriots wouldn’t mind some local flavor. Coen grew up in New England, and played college football at Massachusetts.

It’s not a perfect fit, but the dots can be connected.

Who do you want to be the Patriots’ next head coach?