6 rings: Reacting to Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft Press Conference Announcing Their Parting of Ways
If the Patriots want to hire Jerod Mayo as their next head coach, they won’t have to wait very long to do so.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday night that the linebackers coach is a "strong candidate" to replace Bill Belichick and added that "if he is the choice, the Patriots could simply hire him” without a lengthy process. He added that New England and Mayo "established a firm, contractual succession plan in a prior contract & communicated it to the NFL."
Mayo signed a contract extension last offseason that, as the club worded, was meant to "keep him with the team long-term." We now know what that means.
According to the NFL (h/t Doug Kyed), assistant coach contracts, "may include an agreement to become the club’s next head coach, provided the agreement is filed with the League office at the time is signed and occurs prior to the season in which the vacancy occurs." This agreement allows them to bypass an external search.
When ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Mike Reiss reported on the news of Belichick’s departure on Thursday morning, they added that Mayo “projects to be a, if not the, leading candidate for the job." The former linebacker played for New England from 2008 to 2014 and has been a coaching assistant under Belichick since 2019.
When speaking at the owners' meeting in March, Patriots team owner Robert Kraft told NFL Network that Mayo would be "a strong candidate to be the heir apparent" to Belichick. On Thursday, Kraft was asked what he’s looking for in his next head coach:
"We're looking for someone who can help us get back to the playoffs and win. 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."
Other candidates to replace Belichick reportedly include former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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