Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo begins assembling staff, to interview defensive coordinator candidate

New England Patriots‘ 15th franchise head coach Jerod Mayo, who has held his new position for less than a week, is getting to work to find assistant coaches for his staff. 

Mayo is set to interview Carolina Panthers outside linebackers coach Tem Lukabu for the Patriots defensive coordinator position, per Ian Rapoport. Before he joined the Panthers for the 2023 season, Lukabu was the defensive coordinator for Boston College from 2020 to 2022.

Lukabu’s NFL experience includes being a defensive assistant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2012 to 2013, the defensive quality control coach for the San Francisco 49ers from 2016 to 2017 and the linebackers coach in 2019 for the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Patriots moved on from head coach Bill Belichick last week, who was known for having a strong defensive mind. While New England struggled this season, their defense was a highlight of the team. A defensive coordinator will come in with big shoes to fill, now that Belichick’s skillset with the defense is no longer present.

Mayo was a linebackers coach for the Patriots from 2019 to 2023 ahead of his hiring as head coach. 

The Panthers had the worst record in the NFL this season at 2-15, landing last in the NFC South. The Patriots had the worst record in the AFC at 4-13 and finished fourth in the AFC East.