BREAKING: Patriots Replace Belichick, Hire Jerod Mayo As New Head Coach

It didn't long for the New England Patriots to replace legendary coach Bill Belichick, hiring linebacker coach Jerod Mayo as his successor.

The guy who lasted 24 years with the New England Patriots was replaced within 24 hours.

A day after mutually parting ways with legendary coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots on Friday morning hired his successor in Jerod Mayo. According to ESPN, Mayo will be formally introduced as the team's new head coach at a press conference next week.

It’s a new era in New England: the Patriots have hired Jerod Mayo as their next head coach and he will be formally introduced at a press conference next week, a source tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/SeHKoAonrP

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 12, 2024

With Mayo in place, the Patriots now turn their attention to hiring a new general manager to oversee personnel decisions and the draft. Belichick was the final say as de facto GM during the latter part of his career.

Said owner Robert Kraft Thursday on what he was seeking in New England's next coach, "I'm looking for someone who can help us get back to the playoffs and win."

He said of Mayo last year, "There's no ceiling on his ability to be a head coach."

The Patriots are hoping Mayo can do in Foxboro what DeMeco Ryans has done for the Texans in Houston. Also a former, feisty linebacker and "lifer" for his franchise, Ryans in his first season has led the surprising Texans to the playoffs and is a candidate for Coach of the Year. Mayo, only 37, should relate to New England's younger players better than the 71-year-old Belichick, while maintaining the legendary coach's defensive integrity and intensity.

Source: NBC Sports Boston

After a successful Patriots career as a linebacker in which he was a first-round draft choice, named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2008, led the league in tackles in 2010, went to two Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, Mayo was hired by Belichick to coach New England's inside linebackers in 2019. His reputation and influence quickly grew, and last offseason he was courted by the Carolina Panthers to be their head coach and the Cleveland Browns to be defensive coordinator. Instead, Mayo turned down the offers, signed a contract extension with the Pats and became the unofficial "coach in waiting" in Foxboro.

During this season a report surfaced that Mayo was "rubbing people the wrong way" with his actions geared toward succeeding Belichick.

“Yeah, honestly, I try to stay out of reading a lot of the articles and things during the year. But, when that report came out - my brother sent it to me - it was more hurtful than anything.” Mayo responded last week. “I found the timing to be a little bit weird in my opinion.”

Mayo will inherit a 4-13 team with a depleted roster and a weakened culture. The Pats are without a franchise quarterback, any offensive playmakers and have no players going to the Pro Bowl for the first time since 2000. They had the NFL's worst offense this season, and long-time team leaders Matthew Slater and David Andrews are mulling retirement.

Over their last 25 games the Pats are 7-18. Only the Arizona Cardinals (5-20) have been worse.

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They do, however, enter the offseason with burgeoning stars in cornerback Christian Gonzalez and receiver DeMario Douglas, the league's second-most salary-cap room and the No. 3 overall pick in April's NFL Draft.

"The last three years have been pretty tough," Kraft said. "In life, things happen. What's gone on isn't what we want. This is a results business ... something isn't quite right from where it was."

As if Mayo's task wasn't tall enough, he's not only following Belichick. New England's last three coaches will all wind up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Bill Parcells, Pete Carroll and Belichick.

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