Who is Jerod Mayo? Roadmap for post-Belichick Patriots coach

The New England Patriots are hiring Jerod Mayo as the 15th head coach in franchise history, sources tell ESPN's Adam Schefter, making a quick transition after parting ways with Bill Belichick on Thursday.

Mayo, who turns 38 on Feb. 23, becomes the youngest head coach in the NFL 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 big questions about Mayo's hiring, including what's next. National reporter Jeremy Fowler talks about what he's hearing about the hiring, and draft analyst Jordan Reid breaks it down on the draft. Finally, front office analyst Mike Tannenbaum rates the hiring.

Let's go.

Who is Jerod Mayo and what makes him a good candidate?

Reiss: Mayo is a former Patriots linebacker (2008-15) whose leadership was evident when he was voted captain in his second season – a rare feat in New England. He worked in finance after retiring from football before being brought on to the coaching staff under Belichick in 2019 to coach the linebackers.

Some teammates called him “Bill Jr.” because his combination of football smarts and long hours reminded them of Belichick. His candidacy for head coach has had notable support among defensive players in the locker room, and he has already interviewed with the Eagles and Broncos. The Panthers requested an interview last year, but Mayo opted to stay in New England.

How did this hire happen so quickly?

Reiss: When the Patriots signed Mayo to a contract extension last offseason, they wrote succession plans into the contract that allow them to forgo a traditional NFL coaching search. Sources said the intended plan was for that to happen after the 2024 season, but the Patriots' 4-13 campaign sped up the timeline.

This bears similarities to what the Ravens did in their general manager transition from Ozzie Newsome to Eric DeCosta in 2019, the Indianapolis Colts in their head coaching transition from Tony Dungy to Jim Caldwell in 2008 and the Seattle Seahawks in their head coaching transition from Mike Holmgren to Jim Mora in 2008.

What are the biggest changes we can expect from Belichick to Mayo?

Reiss: Mayo said his approach is to “coach for love” because “once you build that relationship with a guy, you can be tough on players.” This projected culture would be a notable change from Belichick, who has developed strong relationships with players through a results-oriented business approach. Additionally, Belichick had retained final say in personnel matters for most of his tenure. The Patriots are unlikely to give Mayo the final say on personnel matters.

Will the Patriots hire a general manager to work with Mayo?

Reiss: Yes, and the search will likely include internal candidates. The current structure includes Director of Player Personnel Matt Groh, Director of Scouting Eliot Wolf, Senior Personnel Advisor Patrick Stewart, College Scouting Coordinator Camren Williams and Director of Professional Scouting Steve Cargile in lead roles.

What are you hearing around the league about hiring?

Hunter: This isn't a shocking move, as the Patriots dropped a major hint last offseason when they announced a new contract for Mayo. The Patriots rarely announce an assistant coach extension. But it turns out that this one was a special case, with the basis of a succession plan.

Mike Vrabel was the natural external fit, but he proved more of a shiny new toy than a true candidate. I heard from a few coaches this morning who would have liked to see the Patriots conduct a full-scale search. But since the NFL's revamped hiring practices are designed to provide more opportunities for minority candidates, it's a good fit for Mayo, who many league executives have been circling as head coach for some time. time now.

Are the Patriots certainly draft a new quarterback for Mayo at No. 3? Would the signal callers available there be immediate upgrades over Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe?

Reid: The options at No. 3 become even more interesting with Mayo getting the job in New England. The Pats are right in the middle of the quarterback hunt and able to add one of Caleb Williams (USC), Drake Maye (North Carolina) or Jayden Daniels (LSU). Any of them would be an immediate upgrade over the Pats' current staff under center.

The Patriots were 31st in QBR this season with 31.5, so this is the biggest need. But considering a trade scenario is also possible, with teams like the Giants, Falcons, Vikings and Raiders all outside the top five and in need of quarterback help. I could imagine a scenario in which the Patriots trade up and pivot to add a veteran quarterback via free agency — or draft Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) or Bo Nix (Oregon) on Day 2.

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 tackle an early-round possibility.

How would you rate this hire?

Tannenbaum: B

I like it from the perspective that they got to know Mayo over the years, the same way they got to know Belichick during the 1996 season (he was defensive backs coach there) before finally l 'hire as head coach in 2000. But it's really important that Mayo now hires an experienced staff – and ideally a former head coach as offensive coordinator. Arthur Smith would fit that bill.