New England Patriots name Jerod Mayo as Bill Belichick’s successor but who is he?
With the era of Bill Belichick now over, it’s time to look at the man who has been charged with the task of filling his massive shoes in New England.
Given the body of work that he achieved, the now-former New England Patriots coach will be a tough act to follow, to say the least. If there is a consolation for fans, it’s the fact that has already been with the franchise for some time.
Patriots announce Jerod Mayo as Bill Belichick’s replacement
While it’s safe to assume that football fans are still processing the fallout of Bill Belichick’s departure from the New England Patriots, business as they say, is business. To that end, it came as no surprise when the team announced its choice of a replacement for the 6-time Super Bowl-winning coach. According to reports on Friday, franchise owner Robert Kraft has named linebackers coach Jerod Mayo as the man who will take over the reins of the organization.
It’s worth noting that Mayo was widely regarded as the logical replacement for Belichick even before the now-former head coach announced his departure on January 11th. To add further context, there was also Kraft’s statement last offseason when he described Mayo as “a strong candidate to be heir apparent” after a concerted effort to secure his extension with the organization. This of course brings us to a previous report from NFL media which indicated that Mayo and the franchise had agreed to a contractual succession plan, something which was also reported to the league itself. If you’re wondering, the NFL’s rules state that a contract can include an agreement to become the club’s next head coach, provided the agreement is filed with the league office. This is important to note because it allows any team in question to avoid violating the Rooney Rule as well as several other hiring protocols.
Who is Jerod Mayo?
It was not too long ago in 2019, when Mayo first became a central part of the Patriots’ coaching team in his role as inside linebackers coach. Indeed, the 37-year-old was essentially the team’s defensive coordinator despite his official title. To that end, he was the man responsible for defensive play-calling over the last few seasons. Yet, it’s important to note that Mayo has been with the Patriots for quite a few years before ascending the organization’s ranks.
Back in 2008, he was actually drafted by the team with the No. 10 overall pick out of Tennessee and went on to receive the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in his maiden campaign. From there he would go on to play eight seasons in New England, during which time he was named to the first-team All-Pro, secured two Pro Bowl nods, and finished his career with 802 tackles in 103 regular season games.
So, what does Jerod Mayo face?
It’s complicated. If we consider the history of the franchise, then we can only call 2023 an absolute disaster. With a 4-13 record the Patriots were last in the AFC East and the conference as a whole as well. Where specifics are concerned, Mayo will first have to rejuvenate his offensive coaching staff, something that was clearly a problem in this most recent campaign. The Patriots averaged 13.9 points and 276.2 yards per game, numbers that were both the fewest in a season since 1992. There will also be an issue to solve in the front office given that Belichick served as both general manager and coach. If there is a silver lining here, it’s that the Patriots are in possession of the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and perhaps more importantly, the third-most cap space in the NFL. Ultimately, Mayo has a lot of work cut out for him, but it just may be that his familiarity with the franchise makes things a little easier.