6 rings: Will Bill Belichick be left out of the hiring cycle? Plus the latest on the Patriots' coordinator search & a Conference Championship preview
Jerod Mayo is reportedly set to make his first hire as head coach of the Patriots.
According to SI's Albert Breer, New England is set to hire current defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington as their next defensive coordinator. The team has reportedly called other candidates to tell them they're out of the running.
Covington has been a part of the Patriots' defensive staff since 2017, serving as a coaching assistant in '17 and '18, outside linebackers coach in 2019, and defensive line coach since 2020.
Prior to landing with New England, the Samford grad coached at UAB, Ole Miss, UT Martin, and Eastern Illinois. He was EIU's co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach in 2016.
When the rest Patriots' coaching staff worked at the East-West Shrine Bowl last January, Covington took a different route and served as the defensive coordinator of the American team at last offseason's Reese's Senior Bowl. The 34-year-old was named to NFL.com's list of young coaches to watch in November of 2022.
Covington was asked last month at a press conference if he desires to be a head coach one day, and said that it's "on the horizon" of what he wants to accomplish. He continued, "I get in this profession to, again, try to impact men. That’s what we try to do. So, as we go through this, the steps of being a position coach, coordinator to head coach — obviously want to lead a team. That is definitely one of my goals."
As defensive coordinator of the Patriots, he's now one step closer to said goal. He and Mayo will now put together a staff to work with them. New England also interviews Panthers LBs coach Tem Lukabu, Broncos DBs coach Christian Parker, Saints LBs coach Michael Hodges, and now-Raiders safeties coach Gerald Alexander for the position.
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