Where former Tennessee Vols LB Jerod Mayo lands in preseason NFL head coach rankings

There will be some VFL flavor in New England this fall as former Tennessee Vols linebacker Jerod Mayo is entering his first season as the Patriots' head coach. 

Mayo, who played his entire NFL career with the Patriots, was named as the successor to legendary head coach Bill Belichick after the 2023 season. 

The former Vol served as a linebackers coach for the Patriots from 2019 to 2023 before taking over as the franchise's head coach. 

Earlier this week, CBS Sports revealed their NFL head coach rankings ahead of the 2024 season and Mayo, unsurprisingly, was near the bottom of the list. 

That's not because CBS Sports doesn't believe in the former Tennessee standout, but instead because of his lack of experience. 

Mayo comes in at No. 31 in CBS Sports' rankings. The only coach ranked below Mayo is New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen. 

From CBS Sports: At 38, Mayo at least projects a more transparent and inviting personality than longtime predecessor Bill Belichick. He also had a direct hand in New England's feisty defenses of recent years. Still, it's hard to know if he'll be enough of a needed pivot from the previous regime's old-school philosophies when, in many ways, he's simply an extension of that regime.

CBS Sports notes that Mayo could be an extension of the previous regime in New England (with sputtered once Tom Brady left town), but I'm not sure that's fair. 

So far, Mayo has demonstrated that he's willing to approach the game differently than Belichick, working hard to bring a more positive mentality to the New England organization.

One way Mayo's done that is by replacing many of the signs/slogans from the Belichick era. 

From Boston.com: “Inside the Patriots facility, the walls tell the story of change,” Wolfe wrote. “Nearly all the signs and emblems of the Belichick era, including those that read “The Patriot Way” and “Do Your Job,” have been replaced.

“Now, the first hallway signs you see when you walk in the building read, “We not me,” “Hard work works,” and “Process, Progress, Payoff,” — the latter is also the theme Mayo has set for his first season as head coach. Another wall reads, “When we win we win together,” a phrase that came from offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt after Mayo encouraged his assistant coaches to contribute. Mayo loved it. Now, it’s in every meeting room.”

It's clear that Mayo, despite the fact that he's been a Patriot since 2008, is intent on paving his own way as a head coach in the NFL. 

It wouldn't be a surprise to see Mayo listed significantly higher in next year's head coach rankings from CBS Sports.