Not featuring a coaching search this year, the Patriots have still not conducted a true hunt for their sideline leader since agreeing to send the Jets trade compensation for Bill Belichick in 2000. Their effort to succeed the all-time coaching great proved interesting despite not contributing much to PFR’s latest HC Search Tracker.
Rather than go through a full-scale interview process, the Patriots included language in Jerod Mayo‘s contract making him the heir apparent. Robert Kraft confirmed this has been his plan for a while. The longtime Patriots owner revealed on the Prime Video Thursday Night broadcast Mayo became his pick to succeed Belichick five years ago.
“Jerod learned a lot from Bill in the technical background,” Kraft said. “But they’re each special individuals. I’ve gotten to know Jerod over the last 15 years and, you know, I picked him five years ago to be our next head coach.”
Belichick and the Patriots mutually parted ways after the 2023 season, ending his 24-year tenure as the team’s head coach and de facto general manager. While it was not known to the outside NFL world the Pats had Mayo as their open-and-shut pick, the team was the first to name a new coach during this year’s carousel.
The No. 10 overall pick in 2008, Mayo fared well under Belichick as a player and an assistant. As a starting inside linebacker, Mayo earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Mayo spent his entire eight-year playing career in New England under Belichick and retired after struggling with injuries in his last few seasons, which included a victory in Super Bowl XLIX.
Belichick later hired Mayo as his inside linebackers coach in 2019, a position the latter held until he was promoted to head coach earlier this year. Mayo quickly earned Kraft’s trust, as evident from the owner identifying him as his next leader in his first year on staff, but also drew attention around the league as a potential future head coach.
After interviews with the Broncos, Eagles, and Raiders for their head coaching openings from 2021-22, Kraft was so worried he might lose Mayo that he inserted a succession clause into his former linebacker’s contract to guarantee Mayo would succeed Belichick after he left New England, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Mayo declined a Panthers HC interview last year, and the Patriots released a statement indicating he was staying. Kraft confirmed in March 2023 Mayo loomed as a potential Belichick heir apparent, and while ties to Mike Vrabel emerged late last season, it does not appear the owner deviated from his long-held internal plan.
The succession clause allowed the Patriots to get around the Rooney Rule requiring NFL teams to interview at least two external minority candidates for open HC positions. Roger Goodell (via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss) called the succession clause “smart management” by the Patriots, who hired Mayo as their first Black head coach in franchise history on January 12.
Mayo began his head coaching career with a surprising upset of the Bengals in Week 1 before falling to the Seahawks in overtime in Week 2. While the Patriots did not enter this season with much in the way of expectations, Mayo will attempt to reward the owner’s faith in his first season at the helm.
Looks to be working out great, way to go!
Maybe if Kraft wasn’t so cheap and if the GM had a clue, they would have an O Line that could protect their QB’s.
Too bad Mayo didnt do a great job this week but what do you expect from Thursday Night Football?
For a league that says they care about player safety, they continue to trot out teams without enough rest. The Patriots had no life, while the home crowd pumped the Jets up. Now people are talking about Maye taking over, but Brissett will bounce back …
What about the Bills whooping ass last Thursday on short rest, and on the road?
Buffalo always gets fired up for Miami. They know the Fins arent as tough a team. We will see if Thompson and the running game can keep the team in the running, while Tua is out.
Everyone asks where Bill would be without Tom, the better question is where would Robert be without Bill and Tom. A complete and utter failure of an owner, not to mention a perv and someone who should never reach HOF status.
Our soxfan1 is referring to Kraft lobbying to get into the Hall of Fame in Canton.
The Prime Video telecast kept worshipping past glory without any talk of recent inconvenient truths. 4-13? Having a home game flexed out of MNF? Jets ending Belichick’s career? Down the memory hole!
5 years ago Kraft’s specialty was picking women to give him a massage…when did he find time to scout Mayo?
Everyone knew this in January when Mayo was promoted.
Hand Job Bob is a piece of doggie doo and is the sole reason the Patriots are a trainwreck.