The New England Patriots made a big announcement early Thursday morning, confirming many rumors circulating for several weeks.
As Adam Schefter reported, Bill Belichick is officially out as their head coach.
Belichick was with the Patriots for 24 years, so a departure of this magnitude will leave a significant coaching hole behind.
While the team will begin a widespread search for Belichick’s replacement, Schefter indicated that Jerod Mayo is slated to be the leading candidate for the job.
Patriots now embark upon their first head-coaching search in a quarter century. Patriots LB coach Jerod Mayo projects to be a — if not the — leading candidate for the job, sources said.https://t.co/B7riMUeTzB
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2024
Mayo played for Belichick and the Patriots from 2008-2015 and has been on their coaching staff since 2019.
He has an insider’s knowledge of the organization, something the front office could consider during the hiring process.
The Patriots are a historic organization, and with that history comes a lot of pressure on the players on the roster, as well as the coaching staff.
The team must think closely about who makes the most sense to take over as head coach and who presents the best opportunity to help them win.
While the Patriots did make the playoffs in one season with Mac Jones at the helm, they haven’t been very successful since Tom Brady’s departure.
With any luck, a new coach, Mayo, or another candidate can figure out a way to best help this team move forward.
The Patriots’ job opening is attractive for any prospect, given their current position of having the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming draft.
If they select a first-round quarterback, they could start over with a new head coach and, hopefully, a new quarterback who will perform better than Jones has to this point.
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