Following the departure of long time head coach Bill Belichick, the New England Patriots wasted little time naming his successor in Foxborough.
The club is expected to formally introduce Jerod Mayo as the next head coach at a press conference next week. The 37 year old will become the youngest head coach in the NFL, and the first black head coach in Patriots history when he takes over the role next season.
Mayo is intimately familiar with the Patriots organization having played linebacker for the team from 2008-2015, before joining Belichick’s staff as linebackers coach in 2019. New England wasn’t required to go through the usual hiring practice as they had set out a succession plan in Belichick’s contract extension which he signed last offseason.
“I feel like I’m prepared. I feel like I’m ready,” Mayo told reporters earlier this month. “I feel like I can talk to men, women, old, young, white, Black, it doesn’t matter. And hopefully develop those people into upstanding citizens and help them evolve. That’s how I think about it. I feel like my calling is to develop.”
Across 103 career NFL games, the Hampton, VA native recorded 11 sacks, 8 forced fumbles, and 802 total tackles (536 solo, 266 ast). During his time with New England was named The NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, a first team All-Pro (2010), a 2x Pro Bowler, and won a Super Bowl with the team in at SB XLIX.
Mayo had previously interview for several head coaching positions across the league in recent years, including with the Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers. Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft promised that the franchise would move quickly to fill Belichick’s position, and he clearly delivered on that.
“We’re looking for someone who can help us get back to the playoffs and win,” Kraft said. “Believe me, after my family, this is really one of the two most important assets in my life. I am very upset when we don’t win games. It carries the whole week. So, I promise you I’ll be focused to do the best I can do to make sure we’re putting ourselves in the best long-term position to win for many years.”
Mayo’s hire comes only 1 day after the team held a press conference to formalize the decision to move on from Belichick in a mutual parting of ways.
Photo: Keith Allison. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.