Jerod Mayo Talks Following Bill Belichick as Patriots HC, Coaching Staff, More

While Jerod Mayo is being tasked with replacing legendary New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, he intends on doing things his own way.

During his introductory press conference on Wednesday, Mayo told reporters: "I'm not trying to be Bill."

Replicating Belichick and his success would be virtually impossible for any coach, as the future Hall of Famer won six Super Bowls and 17 AFC East titles during his 24 years at the helm in New England.

However, the Patriots have fallen on hard times in recent years, missing the playoffs in three of the past four seasons, and going just 4-13 in 2023, which marked the team's worst record during Belichick's tenure.

That prompted Patriots owner Robert Kraft to make a change, as it was announced last week that Belichick and the Pats mutually agreed to go their separate ways, opening the door for Mayo to be promoted from his role as inside linebackers coach.

Chad Graff of The Athletic reported that Kraft put language in Mayo's contract in January 2023 that said he would be Belichick's successor as head coach.

Because of that, the Patriots did not have to go through the interview process, and they were able to elevate Mayo into the head coaching position one day after officially parting ways with Belichick.

Mayo gave some insight into what people can expect from him as a head coach Wednesday, as he said he wants to get to know his players better and build relationships with them, per Jeff Howe of The Athletic.

He also touched on the importance of being the Patriots' first Black head coach, telling reporters: "I do see color. If you don't see color, you can't see racism."

Mayo's former Patriots teammate, Devin McCourty, asked Mayo a question about whether he had an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishment of becoming head coach of the Patriots, and Mayo said he would be "turning up" Wednesday night before getting back to work Thursday:

The 37-year-old Mayo was originally a first-round pick in the 2008 NFL draft out of Tennessee, and he went on to enjoy a highly successful career as a linebacker.

During his eight-year tenure playing for the Pats, Mayo was the 2008 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, a two-time Pro Bowler, a one-time first-team All-Pro and a one-time Super Bowl champion.

Belichick hired Mayo to be his inside linebackers coach in 2019, and he remained in that role through this season until getting promoted.

Mayo has a big job ahead of him, as the Patriots were one of the worst teams in the NFL this season, and they don't currently have a franchise quarterback.

If the front office is able to use the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft to get Mayo his quarterback of the present and future, such as USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye or LSU's Jayden Daniels, he has a chance to get the Pats back on track starting next season.