Jerod Mayo's candidacy for Broncos' head coach resurfaces after Nathaniel Hackett's firing

BOSTON -- Last year, the Broncos interviewed Jerod Mayo for their vacant head coaching position. They liked him but ultimately didn't give him the job.

Might the Patriots assistant get another shot?

That's the question that immediately came to mind on Monday, after the Broncos fired head coach Nathaniel Hackett. The offensive coach was believed to have been brought in to help lure in Aaron Rodgers. Yet Rodgers stayed in Green Bay, the Broncos traded for Russell Wilson, and the team is now 4-11 after a Christmas Day disaster in Los Angeles.

Owner and CEO Greg Penner said that the search for the next head coach of the Broncos will begin now. And though Penner represents a new ownership group, GM George Paton remains with the team, and he was involved with the interview of Mayo last offseason.

Mayo returned to New England to coach the linebackers and run the defense alongside Steve Belichick. The Patriots rank fifth in points allowed and eighth in yards allowed this year, and the 36-year-old is still considered a prime candidate to land a head coaching job in the NFL. He also interviewed with the Raiders last year, after interviewing for the Eagles' head coaching job a year prior.