The Philadelphia Eagles have a long list of candidates for the position of head coach, including a former All-Pro New England Patriots linebacker who is one of the game’s top young coaches. Philadelphia will interview Jerod Mayo, who spent eight years with the Patriots as a player and for the past two seasons as coach of the team’s internal linebackers, for the position of head coach, by Ian Rapoport from NFL Network.
A Patriots choice in the first round in 2008, Mayo was captain of the team for seven consecutive seasons and was an All-Pro in 2010 when he led the league with 174 tackles (113 solo). Mayo led New England in tackles for five consecutive seasons, made two Pro Bowls (2010, 2012) and was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2008.
Mayo has been a technical assistant for two years, but has already established himself as one of the rising stars in the coaching ranks. This is the first interview with Mayo’s 34-year-old head coach, who played a key role in defending the Patriots, allowing for the fewest points per game in the NFL in the past two seasons (18.1). Opposing defenders have scored 75.5 passers against the Patriots’ defense in the past two seasons, which is the lowest in the league. The 35 pass touchdowns allowed in the past two years are also the lowest in the NFL. The 58 take-away are the most important seconds in the league.
Mayo is the fourth candidate the Eagles have asked to interview for the coach’s vacancy. The Eagles contacted Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. They also contacted Oklahoma Sooners coach Lincoln Riley.