Patriots coaching candidates: Mike Vrabel, best options to replace Jerod Mayo

The New England Patriots named Jerod Mayo their successor to Bill Belichick after parting with the coaching legend following the 2023 NFL season.

Mayo lasted just one season as New England's head coach before being ousted.

Just hours after the Patriots won their final game of the 2024 NFL season to improve to 4-13, the team announced that it had fired Mayo after just one season. Patriots owner Robert Kraft referred to firing Mayo as "one of the hardest decisions I've ever made" in a statement announcing the news.

"I have known Jerod for 17 years. He earned my respect and admiration as a rookie in 2008 and throughout his career for his play on the field, his leadership in the locker room and the way he conducted himself in our community," Kraft wrote. "When he joined our coaching staff, his leadership was even more evident, as I saw how the players responded to him. When other teams started requesting to interview him, I feared I would lose him and committed to making him our next head coach. Winning our season-opener on the road at Cincinnati only strengthened my convictions. Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team's performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hoped."

Kraft went on to thank Mayo and said that he believed the move "was the best option at this time."

As such, the Patriots will be searching for a new head coach for the second time in as many years after enjoying 24 years of stability with Belichick.

Who will the Patriots look to interview as they try to replace Mayo? There are a few options with ties to New England and a handful of top-tier offensive minds to consider for the role.

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Mike Vrabel, former Tennessee Titans head coach

Vrabel seems like the obvious replacement option for Mayo. That may seem strange given that Vrabel and Mayo share many similarities as defensive-minded head coaches that spent plenty of years playing for the Patriots before their coaching careers.

The difference between Vrabel and Mayo is Vrabel is a proven head coach. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported that there were concerns about Mayo's "ability to tactically manage the staff, and build a program;" the same issues would not exist with Vrabel, who built a reputation for getting the most out of his players with the Tennessee Titans, especially on defense.

Vrabel posted a 54-45 record over his six seasons with the Titans and helped guide a Ryan Tannehill-led squad to the AFC's No. 1 seed in 2021. The 49-year-old should be able to instill a hard-nosed mentality in New England and give the organization the direction and vision Mayo's team was lacking.

Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator

Flores is another head coaching candidate who has ties to the Patriots. He spent 11 years in New England as a defensive assistant before being hired as the Miami Dolphins' head coach and posting a 24-25 record over three seasons in that role.

Flores' record may not look overly impressive, but like Vrabel, Flores' rosters in Miami were lacking in high-end talent. He did a good job coaching up his teams and making them competitive and his blitz-heavy defensive scheme has been among the peskiest in the NFL in recent seasons.

The concern with Flores is that his offenses in Miami tended to struggle, and Tua Tagovailoa didn't enjoy a great relationship with him. The Patriots won't want the same thing to happen with Drake Maye, so Flores would need to convince the Kraft family of his plans on offense to become a top candidate for the job.

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Pete Carroll, former Seattle Seahawks head coach

Carroll coached the Patriots for three years before the Belichick era began. Could New England go back to Carroll as it transitions away from Belichick and Mayo? It shouldn't be ruled out, as Kraft thought highly of his former coach and called firing him a difficult decision.

"A lot of things were going on that made it difficult for him to stay, some of which were out of his control," Kraft said, per the Los Angeles Times. "And it began with following a legend (Bill Parcells)."

This time, Carroll would benefit from Mayo taking on the challenge of following in a legend's footsteps. Carroll would be a proven NFL head coach at this time too, as he has a 170-120-1 career record, including a 27-21 mark during his three years with the Patriots. He would provide the team with a fresh perspective and a system that has been proven to work both on and off the field.

So long as Carroll doesn't harbor any resentment about his firing, a return could be possible. But as always with defensive-minded coaches, his choice of offensive coordinator would be critical in evaluating his fit in New England.

Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator

Would the Patriots opening be intriguing enough to lure Johnson out of Detroit? It's possible. New England has its franchise quarterback in Maye and while the rest of its roster is less than impressive, the team has over $130 million in cap space and a top-four pick to revamp things during the offseason.

Johnson is one of the top offensive minds in the NFL and has led the Lions to top-five offenses in yards and points per game in each of his first three seasons as offensive coordinator. The 38-year-old has helped turn Jared Goff from a quarterback on the verge of being benched into a Pro Bowl-level talent; he may similarly develop Maye into a star quarterback.

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Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator

Brady is another up-and-coming offensive-minded coach. The 35-year-old would be the NFL's youngest coach, but he has already built one of the most impressive resumes among coaching hopefuls.

Brady worked under Sean Payton with the New Orleans Saints, coached Joe Burrow and a record-breaking LSU offense to a national championship and has spent the last two seasons turning Josh Allen into a more efficient and productive quarterback. Both Burrow and Allen have blossomed into MVP-caliber talents under Brady's tutelage, so the Patriots could envision him doing the same thing with Maye.

Stealing Brady from the Bills would add some additional benefits in considering the young offensive coordinator. Besides, there's just something about the idea of bringing another Brady to New England that should intrigue Patriots fans.

Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys head coach

If the Patriots just want a stable, proven, veteran coach to guide them in the post-Belichick and Mayo days, McCarthy could draw some consideration. The Cowboys coach may not stick around in Dallas even if Jerry Jones and Co. want him back as his contract is set to expire on Jan. 14.

McCarthy may not have as much upside as the likes of Johnson or Brady. However, he has a career record of 174-112-2 in his career and led the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl 45 win. He has led the Cowboys to 12-5 regular-season records in each of the three seasons Dak Prescott hasn't suffered a season-ending injury, so he could raise the floor of the Patriots, especially if he can help Maye take some steps forward.

McCarthy's 6-9 playoff record since Super Bowl 45 will likely bring skeptics about if New England considers him. Even so, the veteran coach has the experience needed to smooth over the Patriots' transition away from Belichick, so don't discount him as an option.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who replaces Jerod Mayo? Mike Vrabel, Patriots coaching candidates