Well, that was quick. Robert Kraft wasted no time and made it official by hiring Jerod Mayo as the New England Patriots’ next head coach. Now, the focus shifts quickly to other staff needs. While I’m confident it will be a group effort, Mayo will need to decide on his staff. Being a defensive coach, the most important one will be the offensive coordinator. As I looked through a variety of options, the good news is that Mayo and Kraft won’t be short of qualified candidates. Let’s take a look at eight potential Patriots OC candidates.
Bill O’Brien
Embed from Getty ImagesThis would be the simplest move. Bill O’Brien is the team’s current offensive coordinator and Mayo has experience with him. Despite a down year from the Patriots, O’Brien is a good coach.
In 2023, it’s been said that O’Brien wasn’t allowed to bring in his own offensive staff (besides the TE coach), and was forced into running a specific scheme. On top of that, he inherited a broken Mac Jones, a makeshift OL, and mediocre weapons. The offense didn’t perform up to par, but it’s difficult to put much blame on O’Brien. He has experience coaching multiple different schemes offensively. Fans should have trust in O’Brien’s ability to develop a young QB.
Josh McDaniels
Embed from Getty ImagesHere we go again. Is round three coming for Josh McDaniels? If you consider the pros and cons of this idea, the same answers could be said for both.
On one hand, you’d know what you’re getting with McDaniels. He’s a solid offensive coach, that’s destined to be an offensive coordinator. He has worked with multiple young QBs over the years, including Jacoby Brissett, Jimmy Garoppolo, and most recently, Mac Jones. On the other hand, is that what Mayo or Kraft wants? Do they want to recycle the same offensive scheme? While McDaniels brings consistency and reliability offensively, his scheme doesn’t match up to the current era. It’s incredibly complex and yet very basic at the same time.
It’s unknown if McDaniels would be interested in returning. Most would expect he’ll follow Bill Belichick wherever he ends up. If that doesn’t play out, NE would likely be his second option though. He’s a decent option, but I wouldn’t say he’s the best as the Patriots look to move into a new era.
Zac Robinson
Embed from Getty ImagesLet’s move outside the box while somewhat staying inside it at the same time. Zac Robinson is currently the Rams passing game coordinator and QB coach, a team he’s worked with since joining the coaching ranks in 2019. Before that, comes the brief Patriots connection. Robinson was a seventh-round pick in 2010 by the New England Patriots. While the connection was very brief, he at least spent time in the same locker room with Jerod Mayo.
The most attractive trait about Robinson is he’d be coming from the LA Rams. Since joining the Rams, HC Sean McVay has started a funnel of young offensive coaches who have become offensive or head coaches elsewhere. Robinson could follow suit. While a move to an official OC wouldn’t be a big promotion for Robinson, it would allow him to show his ability as a play-caller and it could be another stepping stone for him towards eventually becoming a head coach.
Bo Hardegree
Embed from Getty ImagesLet’s keep it going with another former Patriot coach. The difference with Hardegree is he didn’t start his career in New England. He started getting into coaching in his early 20s after playing QB at the University of Tennessee.
Hardegree would coach at Duke and LSU before being hired by John Fox in 2014 with the Denver Broncos and followed Fox to Chicago in 2015. In 2016, Hardegree would receive his first promotion as he was hired as the QB coach with the Dolphins under Adam Gase. He again followed Gase to the Jets in 2019.
After Gase was fired, Hardegree was hired by the Patriots in 2021 and eventually followed Josh McDaniels to the Raiders to become the QB coach. This past season, after McDaniels was fired, Hardegree took over as interim offensive coordinator. He worked with rookie QB Aidan O’Connell as he experienced his first work as a signal caller for an NFL offense. Hardegree’s connection with Mayo is brief, but it’s still a full year working together on the same staff.
Nick Caley
Embed from Getty ImagesAnother former Patriots coach option here. Nick Caley started his coaching career moving around the college ranks before landing in New England in 2015. In 2017, he was promoted to TEs coach, where he served in that role until 2022.
After the 2022 season, Nick Caley was part of the interview process for the Patriots offensive coordinator job but ultimately lost out to Bill O’Brien. Could he make his return? An attractive attribute for himself could be that he spent the 2023 season with the Rams as their TE coach. Experiencing a new offensive system before returning to take his first job as a play-caller certainly isn’t a thing. Caley is reportedly seen by many around the NFL as a promising young coach and this could finally be his next step.
Chad O’Shea
Embed from Getty ImagesDoes the name sound familiar? It should, as Chad O’Shea spent a decade in New England as the team’s WR coach. O’Shea has been coaching since 1996 in the college ranks before transitioning into the NFL in 2003. He worked for the Chiefs and Vikings before coming to New England. In 2019, O’Shea followed Brian Flores to Miami, where he received his first shot as an offensive coordinator.
Unfortunately for O’Shea, Flores moved on after a single season saying he wanted a simpler approach and scheme to the offense. Since 2020, he has served as the Browns WR coach and passing game coordinator. I wouldn’t call O’Shea a very likely candidate, but if we believe Kraft will look toward known candidates and one that Mayo has a connection with, O’Shea fits the bill.
Kliff Kingsbury
Embed from Getty ImagesLet’s take a look at what might be the most exciting and intriguing name on the list. Kliff Kingsbury is yet another offensive coach with an NE connection. Drafted by the Patriots in 2003, Kingsbury would spend the season working under Tom Brady before moving on to seven other teams over five seasons including time in NFL, CFL, and ELF.
Kingsbury started his coaching career in 2008 at the University of Houston and quickly climbed the coaching ranks. In 2013, he was hired as Texas Tech’s head coach, where he’d coach Patrick Mahomes. In 2019, he was hired as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. After being let go after the 2022 season, Kingsbury worked with Lincoln Riley at USC this past season.
Kingsbury was a name thrown around the last offseason as a potential Patriots offensive coordinator hire and will likely be mentioned again. He brings a complex system to the mix with experience coaching and developing some great QBs. Kingsbury is the first name mentioned here that has no direct connection to Mayo. Either way, if Kraft is looking for a new offensive approach, Kingsbury is a logical name to consider.
Wes Welker
Embed from Getty ImagesAlright, let’s get a bit crazy here. This would certainly send waves through Patriots Nations. Former Patriots WR Wes Welker may be in the mix in New England. While fans have a shaky perception of Welker, everyone remembers how good he was in New England.
Similar to others on this list, Welker had the Patriots connection with coaching experience elsewhere. Welker was hired in 2017 by Bill O’Brien with the Houston Texans. In 2019, he moved to San Francisco to work under Kyle Shanahan before following Mike McDaniel to Miami in 2022.
Welker comes as a qualified option and a Patriots connection to not only Robert Kraft but also Jerod Mayo. The two played together in New England from 2008 to 2012.
Welker has experience working for, under, or with some of the best minds in football. As a player, he obviously played with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. He was also coached by Marty Schottenheimer, Nick Saban, John Fox, Jeff Fisher, Josh McDaniels, Bill O’Brien, and Bill Belichick. Finally, as a coach he has worked under Bill O’Brien, Kyle Shanahan, and now Mike McDaniel. Looking at those names, Welker has experienced some of the greatest coaching of the past few decades. He’d come with vast experience and knowledge of numerous offensive systems.
The Best Path
This decision will be a big one with Mayo being hired as Head Coach. Not only is he a defensive coach, but this is his first time leading a team. I’m confident Mayo will be able to handle the job and succeed in it, but the goal should be to make that as easy as possible for him. With that said, it makes you wonder the best path. While making a change for a new scheme could make sense, that would likely mean an offensive coordinator who is also new to the job.
Among these options, Kingsbury is the only candidate that has play-calling experience, a new scheme, and experience fully running an offense. Zac Robinson and Wes Welker would offer a new scheme change but they’ve also never called plays in the NFL. Bill O’Brien and Josh McDaniels would bring a known leader of the offense and would allow Mayo to focus on the big picture of a head coach. The potential downside is they bring less of a scheme change if that’s what Mayo prefers.
Ultimately, O’Brien would be the safe and logical choice. He’s a good coach who can develop a young QB. With that said, if they look outside the box, Zac Robinson is an intriguing name and ready for the promotion. Kingsbury is intriguing but probably not likely. Wes Welker is the dark horse candidate. Which is the best choice? It’s difficult to truly say. I lean toward Bill O’Brien, but major changes offensively, including offensive scheme, could be the way to go.
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