The New England Patriots didn’t have to look very far to find their successor for Bill Belichick. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team is promoting inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo.
“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,” Schefter wrote.
Mayo knows all about “The Patriot Way.” He was drafted by the franchise in 2008 and played every single season of his career in New England. In 2019, he joined the staff.
The Patriots were so sure that Mayo would be Belichick’s successor that it was written into his contract, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Mayo, 37, will become the NFL’s youngest head coach. That title used to belong to Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams.
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
Mayo has large shoes to fill in New England, there’s no question about it. The front office seems confident in his abilities though.
Time will tell if Mayo is the right coach for the job.