Mayo identifies initial OC candidates
Caley, Robinson, Pitcher in running
New Patriots coach Jerod Mayo’s search for an offensive coordinator has begun to take shape.
Mayo has identified three candidates for initial interviews, Nick Caley, Zac Robinson, and Dan Pitcher. Caley, who turned 41 Monday, is the oldest of the group, as Mayo homes in on the league’s up-and-coming coaches.
“We’re just starting the process,” Mayo said on WEEI Monday morning. “You want to hire people that you like and are good at their job.”
Caley worked on Bill Belichick’s staff for eight seasons, including four with Mayo. He started as an offensive assistant in 2015 before getting promoted to tight ends coach two years later. When Josh McDaniels accepted the head coaching job with the Raiders in 2022, Caley was among the Patriots assistants he wanted to bring with him. But Belichick was able to block the hire because Caley, still under contract, would have been making a lateral move.
Caley interviewed for three offensive coordinator openings (Patriots, Texans, Jets) during last year’s hiring cycle but was passed over each time. He ended up leaving the Patriots to serve as the Rams tight ends coach, a move that Belichick could not stop because Caley was no longer under contract.
The season away from the Patriots boosts Caley’s stock, as he now has experience working with a different style of offense.
Rams coach Sean McVay is known for his West Coast system, one that has already produced three active NFL head coaches. Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur, Cincinnati’s Zac Taylor, and Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell all worked for McVay in Los Angeles.
Mayo hasn’t divulged much about his vision to get the offense back on track, but based on his early list of candidates, he seems interested in moving on from the offensive scheme the Patriots have relied on for the past two-plus decades.
Robinson also is part of McVay’s coaching tree, currently serving as the Rams passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The 37-year-old Robinson, who has spent his entire coaching career in LA, joined McVay’s staff the season following Super Bowl LIII.
Mayo and Robinson briefly overlapped as teammates in New England, as the Patriots drafted Robinson, a quarterback out of Oklahoma State, with the 250th overall pick in 2010. His stint lasted only four months, though, with Tom Brady and Brian Hoyer already on the roster.
In addition to the Patriots, Robinson is interviewing with the Raiders, Saints, and Steelers for their offensive coordinator openings. He also interviewed with the Bears, but they ended up hiring Shane Waldron for the position.
Pitcher, meanwhile, just finished his fourth season working as Cincinnati’s quarterbacks coach. The entirety of his tenure in that role has overlapped with 2020 first overall pick Joe Burrow, who ranked top five in the league in passing yards, touchdowns, and completion percentage during his two healthy seasons.
Pitcher, who has worked with the Bengals since 2016, also has four seasons of NFL scouting experience. He started his coaching career at the collegiate level, working for a season for his hometown college and alma mater, SUNY Cortland.
Like Robinson, Pitcher is interviewing with the Raiders and Saints. He also is a candidate to remain in Cincinnati, as Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan is leaving to become Tennessee’s head coach.
Other potential candidates for the Patriots include Vikings wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell and Dolphins wide receivers coach Wes Welker.