Jerod Mayo explains why he turned down head coaching interviews, chose to remain with Patriots

For a minute, it looked like New England was going to lose one of its most important figures on the coaching staff: Jerod Mayo. The linebackers coach had lined up some head coaching interviews this offseason, but he ultimately decided to forgo the possibility of ascending to that role after the Patriots negotiated an extension with him. News of the team retaining Mayo came via an unprecedented press release by the team. 

“First of all, my family’s here,” Mayo told reporters Tuesday when asked why he chose to stay with the Patriots. “Second of all, I love it here in Boston. I pretty much was raised here in Boston. I came here in 2008. It would take a lot for me to leave. This is where I want to be, and I feel the same way from the coaching staff and also from the Kraft family.” 

For Mayo, who played his entire NFL career with the Patriots, remaining in Foxborough has come with what appears to be additional responsibilities that go beyond the spectrum of the defense. For example, the 37-year-old joined Bill Belichick during interviews for the team’s offensive coordinator job. 

“There’s still a lot that I don’t know,” he said. “I’m very aware of that. So, it’s not only about talking to Bill, but it’s also about talking to the scouts, it’s also talking to the cap guys, it’s also talking to the researchers and all that. I have a lot to learn and honestly, that’s another reason why I wanted to be here because I feel like we do it right here.” 

While Mayo appears to be on the rise within New England’s coaching ranks, he is still without a firm title. 

“New England never has roles,” he said. “I mean, honestly, that’s what it is. The whole role thing, that’s not important as long as I’m growing. For me, it’s about growth. It’s about personal development. And that’s what I’m focused on. So look, I’ll be working with the defense again. I’ll be working with the linebackers again. But honestly, it’s pretty fluid as far as the classes, the management stuff.”

Over the last few years, the Patriots have not had a defensive coordinator in title, as it’s been Mayo and Steve Belichick co-leading the unit with the latter calling the defensive plays. As Mayo noted Tuesday, he still anticipates Steve Belichick to continue calling the defensive plays. 

“Steve’s calling the plays. He’s done a great job. He’s been calling the plays since 2019. I have no complaints or anything like that,” Mayo said. “I’ve learned a lot from Steve as well. He’s a very smart coach. He does a good job calling the game. Our defense has been pretty good here since ’19. We’ve just gotta try to keep it going.”

All of this added responsibility that Mayo has seemingly been taking on appears to put him on a fast track towards being one of the most highly sought-after head coaching candidates in the NFL. Could that be in New England whenever Belichick decides to call it a career? We’re likely still a few years away from crossing that hypothetical bridge, but Mayo believes he’s in the right place to position himself for a fruitful head coaching career at some point. 

“I’m confident that I’ll grow here,” Mayo said. “Where that leads, I’m not sure. Hopefully, I’m here for the foreseeable future, but we’ll just have to see. I am confident in the plan they put together as far as my development is concerned.”