Jerod Mayo.Photo:Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
It didn’t take long for the New England Patriots to findBill Belichick’s successor.Less than a day after “mutually” parting ways with its legendary head coach,ESPNand theAssociated Pressreport the Patriots and owner Robert Kraft will soon announce they are promoting assistant coach Jerod Mayo to replace him.
Mayo, 37, will become the youngest coach in NFL history and the first Black head coach in New England’s 65-year history.“He deserves it,” one defensive player on the Patriots told ESPN upon hearing the news.
Jerod Mayo.Mark Brown/Getty Images
Mark Brown/Getty Images
Mayo is a highly respected former player and coach within the Patriots franchise.
He was a star linebacker on the team from 2008 until 2015, when he retired from playing.
Teammates even jokingly referred to Mayo as “Bill Jr.” throughout his career due to his penchant for studying film and putting in time off the field to get better while on it, according to ESPN.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Mayo’s leadership within the Patriots locker room soon continued after retiring as a player, joining Belichick and the Patriots as a linebackers coach in 2019 after a brief career in finance following his retirement.
Mayo had called plays for the Patriots’ defense over the last two seasons, according to the AP.
Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo.Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Off the field, Mayo comes from an athletic family with two brothers who played college football. His younger brother Deron Mayo is also a strength and conditioning coach for the Patriots.
Mayo and his wife Chantel Mayo have four kids together: three daughters and a son.
The Patriots’ next head coach was long expected to take over for Belichick, who he saw as a mentor throughout his career.
“I feel like I’m prepared. I feel like I’m ready,” Mayo told ESPN earlier this month when asked about taking over as the team’s next coach. “I feel like I can talk to men, women, old, young, white, Black – it doesn’t matter. And hopefully develop those people into upstanding citizens and help them evolve. That’s how I think about it. I feel like my calling is to develop.”
source: people.com
