The New England Patriots are staying in the building for their next head coach, hiring linebackers coach Jerod Mayo to succeed Bill Belichick. Mayo had served as the de facto defensive coordinator in New England. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the news.
Mayo replaces Belichick, who mutually parted ways with the Patriots yesterday after 24 seasons and six Super Bowl championships. It won’t be easy replacing Belichick but keeping things internal with a rising star in Mayo, who’s been around the organization his entire career, could bode well for New England.
In his latest contract, there was a succession plan included so New England didn’t have to go through the traditional interview process, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport tweeted last night.
That was one reason why Mayo turned down head-coaching opportunities to remain in New England, and now with Belichick gone, it will be his former player taking the reins. Mayo played for the Patriots from 2008-2015, excelling as a two-time Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro in 2010. At 37, he now becomes the youngest head coach in the NFL.
He’s also another minority hire, something the NFL hasn’t had enough of in recent years. He becomes the NFL’s fourth Black head coach along with Mike Tomlin, Todd Bowles and DeMeco Ryans.
Next up for New England will be hiring a general manager, a role Belichick essentially held, and filling out the rest of its coaching staff. Mayo will have to decide whether he wants to keep Bill O’Brien on as offensive coordinator, and the Patriots also have former Steelers offensive line coach Adrian Klemm as their offensive line coach.
It’s a new era in New England, and while it’s going to be strange not seeing Belichick on the sidelines, Mayo is someone who’s learned under him his whole career and now will undertake what is shaping up to be a rebuild in New England. While no one will match Belichick’s success, we’ll see if he can make the Patriots competitive again, just as they were throughout the 2000s and 2010s as one of Pittsburgh’s biggest rivals.
