Alexander is one of five coaches interviewing for the position

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo is busy conducting interviews to find coordinators in all three phases of the game. Of the 12 total candidates he and the team are looking at, five are in consideration for the defensive coordinator position.

Among then, as was reported by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated on Tuesday, is Pittsburgh Steelers assistant coach Gerald Alexander. The 39-year-old offers NFL-level experience as both a player and a coach.

The Boise State product was selected in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. A journeyman throughout his time in the league, Alexander also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets before his active career came to an end after the 2011 season.

In total, Alexander appeared in 44 games. He registered four interceptions and fumble recoveries each.

In 2013, he began his coaching career as an undergraduate assistant at Arkansas State. He later also worked at Washington, Indiana State, Montana State and Cal, and interned for both the Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers along the way. In 2020, he made the jump to the NFL for good, coaching the Miami Dolphins’ defensive backs under Brian Flores. Two years later, he was hired as assistant defensive backs coach in Pittsburgh.

Alexander, as noted above, is the fifth coach in consideration for the Patriots’ defensive coordinator position. In-house candidate DeMarcus Covington, New England’s defensive line coach, is considered the favorite to earn the promotion.

The team also has an eye on Tem Lukabu (Carolina outside linebackers coach), Christian Parker (Denver Broncos defensive backs coach) and Michael Hodges (New Orleans Saints linebackers coach).