FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots have agreed to rent Jerod Mayo to succeed Bill Belichick because the group’s first Black head coach, in response to an individual conversant in the scenario.
Details had been nonetheless being labored out on Friday, in response to the individual, who spoke on the situation of anonymity as a result of the group hasn’t introduced the choice. Mayo performed eight NFL seasons and received a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots in the course of the 2014 season.
Mayo’s rent comes a day after Belichick agreed to half methods with the Patriots after a 24-year run that included six Super Bowl wins.
Mayo instantly rose to the highest of the listing of viable Belichick successors after the Patriots took the distinctive step of saying they had been giving the assistant a long-term extension final offseason. Mayo, together with Belichick’s son and fellow linebackers coach Steve Belichick, dealt with the play calling duties for the Patriots protection over the previous two seasons.
Despite New England’s 4-13 report this season, the group’s protection has remained extremely ranked in a number of classes regardless of dropping high linebacker Matt Judon and rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez early to season-ending accidents.
Though it’s unclear what the phrases of Mayo’s deal previous to final season entailed, it got here after the 37-year-old interviewed for a number of head teaching jobs in Philadelphia and Carolina every of the previous two years.In saying the choice to half methods with Belichick on Thursday, Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft promised to maneuver rapidly on attempting to fill the outlet.
Kraft mentioned that the mandate for the following coach could be a return to the postseason for a Patriots group that has missed the playoffs in three of the previous 4 seasons and hasn’t received a playoff recreation for the reason that 2018 season.
“We’re looking for someone who can help us get back to the playoffs and win,” Kraft mentioned. “Believe me, after my family, this is really one of the two most important assets in my life. I am very upset when we don’t win games. It carries the whole week. So, I promise you I’ll be focused to do the best I can do to make sure we’re putting ourselves in the best long-term position to win for many years.”
Mayo isn’t anticipated to have the identical management over personnel issues like Belichick did for many of his tenure with the Patriots. Along with being coach, Belichick additionally served as New England’s de facto normal supervisor.
But Kraft identified on Thursday that Belichick didn’t obtain that energy till after he received his third Super Bowl with the group following the 2004 season and that Belichick “earned it and it worked pretty well for most of the time.”
That means a brand new normal supervisor rent, or another restructuring of the entrance workplace, is probably going subsequent on Kraft’s plate.
