The Patriots have hired Jerod Mayo, a former Tennessee linebacker, to succeed Bill Belichick.
Former Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo is getting a significant promotion. The New England Patriots elevated linebackers coach Jerod Mayo to head coach after ousting iconic head coach Bill Belichick.
Tenth overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, Mayo was selected. He continued to play for the squad through the 2015 season, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year. After a span of four years, Mayo became the inside linebackers coach for the Patriots. Owner Robert Kraft rapidly came to believe in him, and today he was appointed head coach. For a few years, there were rumors about this transfer.
Mayo played three seasons at Tennessee before making an early NFL Draft declaration. Between 2005 and 2007, he was credited with 143 total tackles while playing for Knoxville. Mayo has long been considered as a contender to succeed Belichick, and today’s results confirmed that.
He’s taking over for a legend in Belichick, which is a difficult task. Back in 2021, he was connected to the Tennessee job, but the speculations were unfounded. He now has the opportunity to play in the NFL, but sadly, he must rebuild the entire roster from the ground up. It will be interesting to watch how Mayo fares when he is literally thrown into the Boston fire.