After firing head coach and general manager Bill Belichick in 2024, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft immediately named Jerod Mayo the successor. There was no coaching search nor was there a long list of Patriots coaching candidates brought in for interviews. The 2024 season has made it evident that was a mistake by Kraft.
Mayo certainly inherited a bad situation, with Belichick leaving behind one of the worst NFL rosters in 2024. It’s not surprising that New England is near the bottom of the NFL standings this season, but the defensive regression and the lack of accountability from the head coach are massive problems.
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- Jerod Mayo coaching record: 3-11 as New England Patriots head coach
Consider that a year ago with a similar roster, Belichick’s defense finished ninth in EPA per Play allowed (-0.059) with the sixth-best defense on third downs (36.3 percent conversion rate). In 2024, New England ranks 24th in third-down defense (42.4 percent conversion rate allowed) and 30th in EPA per Play (0.081). Even more concerning, there seems to be a persistent lack of accountability from the Patriots head coach.
While it’s highly unlikely Kraft fires his hand-picked head coach after one year, it’s still worth evaluating potential Patriots coaching candidates for 2025 who could push this team in a better direction.
Mike Vrabel, former Tennessee Titans head coach
If Kraft wants to create a more modern version of the ‘Patriot Way’ without having a head coach who seems to throw assistants and players under the bus, Mike Vrabel is the best option. Like Mayo, he spent years learning under Belichick as a player. Unlike the current Patriots head coach, Vrabel worked his way up the ranks as an assistant in college at Ohio State (2011-’13) and then in the NFL (2014-’16) before becoming a defensive coordinator in 2017. He learned the ropes, how to handle the media and be the leader of a team.
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- Mike Vrabel coaching record: 54-45 record with the Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans made the playoffs three times during Vrabel’s tenure, including a trip to the AFC Championship Game. After consecutive seasons with double-digit wins (2020-’21), he still found ways to at least post a respectable record in his final two seasons (13-21) despite dealing with a bottom-10 roster.
Vrabel will have the respect of the Patriots locker room and his message will hold weight because he’s been successful as a head coach even outside New England. He’s at the right age where he can do this job for another 10-plus years and he’s also demonstrated his coaching prowess in games with the little things. If there’s a Patriots coaching search, Vrabel should be the obvious top choice. However, if New England waits, he likely won’t be around in the next coaching cycle because multiple teams want him.
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Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator
Mike Vrabel will get hired during the 2025 coaching cycle, so we also have to consider Patriots coaching candidates who might be available this coming offseason and next. With his active lawsuit against the NFL, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores might have very limited head-coaching opportunities.
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- Brian Flores coaching record: 24-25 record as the Miami Dolphins head coach
Flores, like Vrabel, learned from Belichick. The Boston College alum joined the Patriots coaching staff in 2008 as a special teams assistant, slowly working up the ladder to linebackers coach (2016-’18). He made mistakes in his first stint as a head coach, his treatment of Tua Tagovailoa is evidence of that, but he also won far more games with a rebuilding Miami Dolphins team than anyone expected. Just as important, Flores seemed to learn from his mistakes in Miami.
Plus, we’re extremely confident he could fix the Patriots defense. He took over a bottom-five unit in 2023, made it a top-15 defense and now the Minnesota Vikings have one of the best defenses in the league. As with Vrabel, Flores can quickly earn the respect of the Patriots locker room and he’ll make this team better. Plus, New England already has its franchise quarterback. Flores just needs to pick the right offensive coordinator this time around and his two years spent with Kevin O’Connell should help that.
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Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
While we’ve prioritized Patriots coaching candidates who can turn the defense around and will help bring accountability and a better culture to the franchise, it’s possible Kraft might want to go with an offensive-minded head coach. If that’s the case, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady could be the perfect choice to pair with Drake Maye.
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Maye (6-foot-4 and 225 pounds) and Josh Allen (6-foot-5 and 237 pounds) have similar body types. The Patriots and Bills’ quarterbacks also boast excellent arm strength and incredible athleticism with size that makes them especially dangerous as dual-threat quarterbacks.
Brady’s system is getting even more out of Josh Allen – career-highs in ESPN QBR (79.4), AY/A (8.59) and Adjusted EPA per Play (0.353) – than Brian Daboll did when his work with Allen got him a head-coaching gig. As for who he would pick as defensive coordinator, the 350-year-old has spent the last three seasons with the Buffalo Bills and could take one of Sean McDermott’s top assistants with him to call the Patriots defense.
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Aaron Glenn, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator
If there’s going to be a Patriots coaching search in 2025 or 2026, it will mean a new culture is coming for the franchise. There are few options out there better to both provide that and help turn this defense around than Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
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Glenn is beloved by players, in part because he holds himself accountable and does whatever it takes to put them in a position to succeed. It’s what made him a great defensive backs coach under Sean Payton with the New Orleans Saints and he’s been even better as the Lions defensive coordinator, picking up on qualities that make a great head coach from Dan Campbell.
Plus, as the 2024 NFL season demonstrated, Glenn can be a flexible defensive play-caller who makes the best out of whatever hand he’s dealt. Detroit had a top-10 defense with Aidan Hutchinson and when he suffered a season-ending injury, Glenn orchestrated a blitz-heavy defense and it still performed at a high level. That’s a testament to his defensive mind and his reputation as a leader is even more well-known around the NFL.
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