The New England Patriots didn’t waste any time finding their new head coach. The team announced on Friday that Jerod Mayo will be the 15th head coach in franchise history. The announcement comes after Bill Belichick exited the Patriots after being the head coach for 24 seasons. The Patriots will formally introduce Mayo as the new head coach on Wednesday.
Mayo, 37, will be the NFL’s youngest head coach, taking over for Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay who has held that title since 2017. Mayo is very familiar with the Patriots as he played for the team from 2008 to 2015. He then joined Belichick’s coaching staff in 2019, serving as the Patriots linebackers coach. Per ESPN, the Patriots did not have to go through the standard NFL hiring process because they had a succession plan in the contract extension he signed last offseason. Mayo will be the first Black head coach in Patriots history.
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“I feel like I’m prepared. I feel like I’m ready,” Mayo said in early January. “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.”
Mayo had a successful run as a player. He spent his entire career with the Patriots and was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2008 after recording 100 tackles and four passes defended as a linebacker. Mayo went on to be named to the Pro Bowl twice selected to the All-Pro First Team in 2010 and helped the Patriots win the Super Bowl during the 2014 season. He announced his retirement from the NFL in 2016.
Mayo has some big shoes to fill as Belichick has a resume very few coaches in NFL history have. During his time with the Patriots, Belichick led them to nine Super Bowl appearances while winning six of them. He was also named AP Coach of the Year three times and is a member of two All-Decade Teams (2000 and 2010). Belichick holds the record for most Super Bowl wins as a head coach, most Super Bowl appearances as a head coach and most playoff wins as a head coach (31).
