The New England Patriots may be just weeks away from beginning their first head coach search in more than two decades, and there is one interesting candidate who oddsmakers believe will have a shot at the job.
There has been speculation for months that Bill Belichick and the Patriots will part ways at the end of the season. One reporter who has covered the team for years said this week that the decision has already been made.
If Belichick does leave, many believe Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo will replace him. Mayo was linked to some head coach jobs last year before New England signed him to an extension. It makes sense that most oddsmakers have listed Mayo as the favorite to succeed Belichick, but there is one other very intriguing name on the list.
Bookies.com on Wednesday listed the top eight candidates to become the next head coach of the Patriots. Mayo is the favorite at +375, followed by Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson at +500. Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury is third on the list at +575.
Here is the full list with odds from Bookies.com:
Jerod Mayo +375
Ben Johnson +500
Kliff Kingsbury +575
Mike Vrabel +600
Brian Callahan +750
Kellen Moore +1000
Ron Rivera +1200
Dan Quinn +1800
The Field +425
Kingsbury is the name that sticks out. Oddsmakers from SportsLine believe the chances of the Patriots hiring Kingsbury are a lot lower, but the 44-year-old is still in their top 10 with +1800 odds.
Kingsbury was the head coach of Cardinals from 2019-2022. The team drastically improved over his first three years and made the playoffs with an 11-5 record in 2021. Kingsbury’s relationship with Kyler Murray then seemed to sour, and the coach was fired following a 4-13 season in 2022.
This past season, Kingsbury worked as an offensive assistant on Lincoln Riley’s staff at USC.
Kingsbury was drafted by Belichick and the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft, so there is some history between him and the franchise. He landed on injured reserve with an arm injury as a rookie and was then waived before the 2004 season. Kingsbury has a Super Bowl ring from when the Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII.
While it seems highly unlikely that the Patriots would hire Kingsbury, many feel they need to look for an offensive-minded coach who can develop a quarterback. Kingsbury is a former quarterback who had some early success with Murray, so he would fit the bill.
