The New England Patriots and former head coach Bill Belichick agreed to mutually part ways on the morning of January 11th. The team wasted no time moving on to the next regime. On the very next morning, they announced that linebackers coach, Jerod Mayo, would be replacing Belichick in the head coach role.
New England Patriots Name Jerod Mayo Next Head Coach
Former first-round pick of the Patriots in 2008, Mayo was recruited to the coaching staff in 2019 by Belichick and quickly shot up the ranks. Over the last few years, he received multiple opportunities to interview for head coaching positions with other teams. It was even reported that he turned down interviews this past offseason to keep his role with the Patriots, which was a bit shocking to many.
Turning down opportunities to be a head coach in the NFL, to be a linebackers coach for the Patriots may have seemed like an odd move at the time. Ian Rappaport, of the NFL Network, reported that Jerod Mayo had it written in his contract that the Patriots wanted him to be the successor to Belichick. They had it approved by the league office last offseason, and now, with Belichick and the team deciding to part, the Patriots were able to hire Mayo without going through any of the normal hiring processes.
Sources: Jerod Mayo is a strong candidate to replace Bill Belichick & if he is the choice, the #Patriots could simply hire him. No need to go through the lengthy hiring process — they established a firm, contractual succession plan in a prior contract & communicated it to the… pic.twitter.com/xZYUgEkUuC
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 11, 2024
As a linebacker, Mayo was able to rack up quite a few accolades in his eight years as a Patriot. His resume includes Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2008, being named to the Pro Bowl twice, and leading the league in tackles in 2010 which earned him a first-team all-pro nod. Maybe most importantly, was how his teammates all viewed him as a leader in the locker room.
A New Era In New England
Mayo, known for his role as a players’ coach during his tenure with New England’s staff, actively embraces it. In recent comments to Taylor Kyles of CLNS Media, Mayo spoke about the type of culture he hopes to create as a head coach. “Most people think of diversity as just black and white. But there is generational diversity. There’s diversity of thought. And all those are welcome, at least to me. And I want to build an environment like that, where there is a sense of psychological safety that people don’t feel handcuffed to give their opinion.” Now he has his opportunity to create that type of culture in New England.
Being the coach to replace – what many think of as – the greatest of all time, isn’t going to be easy; but many in the NFL world think he’s the man for the job. Everyone from former Patriots that played with Mayo, to current Patriots that have played for him, are showing their support for the team’s new head coach. Former teammate Jamie Collins said in a post on X, “The ultimate Patriot. The next best thing in the new era of football. Glad to have played with you. Showed me the game in different views. Happy for ya big dawg.” Current linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. (who becomes a free agent this offseason) also posted to the social media site to show his support, saying, “The start of a New Era that I’d love to be apart of. So happy for this dude.. Well deserved BIG COACH!”
The ultimate Patriot. The next best thing in the new era of football. Glad to have played with you. Showed me the game in different views. Happy for ya big dawg
https://t.co/A3DOTCoGjH
— Jamie Collins (@JamieLee601) January 12, 2024
Main Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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