Patriots name Jerod Mayo new head coach

Jerod Mayo (Michael Holzworth, Wikimedia Commons)

It simply did not take long for the New England Patriots to find a new head coach. On Friday, only one day after the Patriots parted ways with 71-year-old Bill Belichick of Nashville, Tennessee, New England named former Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo of Hampton, Virginia as their new head coach on Friday. It definitely appears that the Patriots are set to rebuild. At 37 years of age, Mayo is 34 years younger than Belichick, and you could make the argument the Patriots are not in the position to contend in the American Football Conference for a while.

Mayo had been an assistant coach with the Patriots since 2019. Over the last five seasons he was in charge of inside linebackers.

As a player, Mayo played eight seasons with the Patriots from 2008 to 2015. During 103 games, he had 802 combined tackles (536 solo tackles, 266 assisted tackles), 30 tackles for a loss, 28 quarterback hits, three interceptions for four yards, 19 pass deflections, eight fumble recoveries, seven fumble recoveries and 11 sacks.

Mayo had a huge impact early in his National Football League career. In 2008, he was the Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year. That season he had 128 combined tackles (100 solo tackles and 28 assisted tackles), five tackles for a loss, one quarterback hit, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and four pass deflections.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Mayo was recognized in 2010, and again in 2012. While with the Patriots in 2010, he led the NFL in solo tackles (113), and combined tackles (174). Mayo won a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2015, but did not play during the postseason because of an injury.

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