FOXBOROUGH, MA (WTKR) - He used to patrol Darling Stadium as a player for Kecoughtan. Now he'll patrol the sidelines as the leader of the New England Patriots.
Jerod Mayo will take the reins of the Patriots, succeeding Bill Belichick as the team's head coach, per multiple reports Friday morning, including ESPN and The Athletic. Mayo has served on Belichick's staff since 2019 as inside linebackers coach.
The 37-year old will become the youngest active coach in the NFL. The Patriots announced last January that they were extending his contract to keep him with the franchise long term and worked a succession clause into his contract saying that he would take over for Belichick upon the latter's departure, meaning the team could move quickly to hire Mayo.
The former Warrior played his college football at Tennessee and was selected by New England in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He spent his entire career with the team, earning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2008, selected as a First Team All-Pro in 2010 and winning a Super Bowl before retiring in 2015.
A new era in New England.
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 12, 2024
Congratulations, Head Coach Jerod Mayo! pic.twitter.com/Aj87oTu2S2
Mayo will take over for one of the best coaches in NFL history. Belichick led the Patriots for 24 seasons, leading the franchise to nine Super Bowls, winning six of them. He captured 17 AFC East titles, including a stretch of 11 straight from 2009-2019.
The former Warrior will become the second active NFL head coach, joining Denbigh product Mike Tomlin, who has led the Steelers since 2007.
According to ESPN, Mayo will be introduced during a news conference next week.
