Mayo adds young candidates
Patriots coach at work to fill coordinator jobs
Jerod Mayo identified three additional candidates for the Patriots’ coordinator openings Friday as the new head coach continues to work to build his staff.
Mayo will interview Christian Parker and Michael Hodges in the team’s search for a defensive coordinator, in addition to Jeremy Springer for the role of special teams coordinator.
All three candidates are under the age of 40. Mayo, who turns 38 in February, is the youngest coach in the NFL.
The 32-year-old Parker has served as Broncos defensive backs coach for the past three seasons. A key aspect of his tenure has been developing 2021 first-round pick Patrick Surtain II, who earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2022 and back-to-back Pro Bowl nods.
If hired, Parker would be the youngest coordinator in the NFL. Sean McVay was the youngest-ever offensive coordinator, promoted by Washington in 2014 at age 28.
Hodges, 37, has spent the past seven seasons with the Saints, most recently serving as linebackers coach. Before the NFL, Hodges worked as co-defensive coordinator for Eastern Illinois at the college game’s Football Championship Subdivision level.
Parker and Hodges join a candidates pool that also includes Tem Lukabu, who just finished his first season as outside linebackers coach for the Panthers. Lukabu met Mayo during his three-season tenure (2020-22) as defensive coordinator at Boston College.
Springer, meanwhile, just finished his second season as assistant special teams coach for the Rams. The 34-year-old’s coaching resumé includes eight years of experience at the collegiate level, including stints at Marshall, Arizona, Texas A&M, and Texas.
The Patriots also requested an interview with Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams, though it’s unclear if permission was granted. The Giants also put in a request to interview Williams, but the Falcons denied it. More clarity is expected once Atlanta completes its search for a new head coach.