Foxborough, Mass. (WEEI/WGR 550) - It didn't take long for the New England Patriots to name their replacement for Bill Belichick as the new head of the franchise.
The Patriots formally announced the hiring of Jerod Mayo to be their 15th head coach in franchise history on Friday. This just one day after team owner Robert Kraft and Belichick held a press conference, announcing the parting of ways between the team and the longtime head coach.
At 37-years-old, Mayo becomes the youngest head coach in the NFL. He spent his entire professional football career in New England, playing for the franchise from 2008 to 2014, and later coaching under Belichick since 2019.
The Patriots were able to work swiftly to hire Mayo as their next head coach as, according to multiple reports, they "established a firm, contractual succession plan in [his] prior contract and communicated it to the NFL."
When they signed their linebackers coach to an extension last offseason, they baked in wording for him to become their next head coach. Per 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 allowed them to bypass an external search.
The franchise will introduce Mayo as their next head coach at a press conference next Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 12 p.m. EST at Gillette Stadium.
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