Who is Jerod Mayo? Belichick Patriots post coach roadmap
The New England Patriots hire Jerod Mayo as the 15th head coach in franchise history, Sources tell ESPN's Adam Schefterchanges quickly afterwards Separation from Bill Belichick on Thursday.
Mayo, who turns 38 on Feb. 23, becomes the NFL's youngest head coach and has been identified as a top target by Patriots owner Robert Kraft for some time.
Taking a closer look, Patriots reporter Mike Reiss answers four key questions about Mayo's hiring, including what's next. National reporter Jeremy Fowler breaks down what he's heard about the recruitment and draft analyst Jordan Reid brings it back to the draft. Finally, front office analyst Mike Tannenbaum evaluates the hire.
Let us begin.
Who is Jerod Mayo and what suits him?
Reiss: Mayo is a former Patriots linebacker (2008-15), whose leadership qualities were evident when he was elected captain in his second season, a rare feat in New England. After retiring from football, he worked in finance before being brought back onto the coaching staff under Belichick in 2019 to coach linebackers.
Some teammates used to call him “Bill Jr.” because his combination of football intelligence and long hours reminded them of Belichick. His candidacy for head coach received notable support from defensive players in the locker room, and he previously interviewed with the Eagles and Broncos. The Panthers requested an interview last year, but Mayo opted to remain in New England.
How did this attitude come about so quickly?
Reiss: When the Patriots signed Mayo to a contract extension last offseason, they wrote succession plans into the contract that allowed them to forego the traditional NFL coaching search. Sources said the intended plan was for this to happen after the 2024 season, but the Patriots' 4-13 season accelerated the schedule.
This has similarities to what the Ravens did in their general manager transition from Ozzie Newsome to Eric DeCosta in 2019 Indianapolis Colts in their head coaching change from Tony Dungy to Jim Caldwell in 2008 and the Seattle Seahawks during their head coaching change from Mike Holmgren to Jim Mora in 2008.
What are the biggest changes we can expect with the move from Belichick to Mayo?
Reiss: Mayo said his approach was to “coach out of love” because “once you build a relationship with a guy, you can be tough on the players.” This planned culture would be a notable departure from Belichick, who came through using a business-oriented approach to build close relationships with players. Additionally, Belichick had had final say over personnel for most of his tenure. It's unlikely the Patriots will give Mayo the final say on personnel selection.
Will the Patriots hire a general manager to work with Mayo?
Reiss: Yes, and the search probably includes internal candidates too. The current structure includes player personnel director Matt Groh, scouting director Eliot Wolf, senior recruiter Patrick Stewart, college scouting coordinator Camren Williams and pro scouting director Steve Cargile in senior roles.
What are you hearing around the league about hiring?
Fowler: This isn't a shocking move, as the Patriots dropped a major hint last offseason when they announced a new contract for Mayo. It's rare for the Patriots to announce an assistant coach extension. But it turned out that this was a special case that laid the foundation for a succession plan.
Mike Vrabel appeared to be a natural fit, but as it turned out, he was more of a shiny new toy than a real candidate. I heard from a few coaches this morning who wished the Patriots would conduct a comprehensive search. But with the NFL's overhauled hiring practices aimed at providing more opportunities for minority candidates, this is a good fit for Mayo, who many league executives have been circling as head coach material for some time.
Are the patriots definitely Draft a new quarterback for Mayo at No. 3? If the signal callers were available there, there would be immediate upgrades MacJones And Bailey Zappe?
Reid: The options at No. 3 become even more interesting with Mayo getting the New England job. The Pats are in the middle of the quarterback hunt and in position to add one Caleb Williams (USC), Drake Maye (North Carolina) or Jayden Daniels (LSU). Any of them would be an immediate improvement over the Pats' current staff under center. The Patriots ranked 31st in QBR this season with 31.5, so that's the biggest need.
But it's also possible to consider a trade-back scenario, as teams like the Giants, Falcons, Vikings and Raiders are all outside the top five and in need of quarterback help. I could imagine a scenario where the Patriots back down and move to add a veteran quarterback via free agency – or drafting Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) or Bo Nix (Oregon) on the second day.
New England also lacks talent at the skill positions and could benefit from a deep WR class. Both starting tackles (Trent Brown And Mike Onwenu) are set to become free agents, which also makes offensive tackles possible in the early round.
How would you rate this setting?
Fir tree: B. I like it from the standpoint that they got to know Mayo over the years, much like they got to know Belichick during the 1996 season (he was the defensive backs coach there) before they finally hired him as head coach that year 2000. But it's really important that Mayo hire an experienced staff now – and ideally a former head coach as offensive coordinator. Arthur Smith would fit this bill.
