Jerod Mayo earned a head-coaching interview in just his second season as an NFL coach. It might not take him much longer to land a top job.
Mayo, a former New England Patriots linebacker who now serves as the team’s inside linebackers coach, appeared Wednesday on the annual watch list of rising head-coaching candidates (under age 45) complied by NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.
Pelissero called the 35-year-old Mayo “a legitimate candidate” and said the Philadelphia Eagles “came away impressed with his rare leadership traits” when they interviewed him late last season.
A captain during his playing days, Mayo now helps coordinate New England’s defense alongside head coach Bill Belichick and outside linebackers coach Steve Belichick.