Patriots' Robert Kraft: Jerod Mayo Picked 5 Years Ago to Succeed Bill Belichick as HC

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft revealed that he selected Jerod Mayo as the team's replacement for legendary former head coach Bill Belichick five years ago.

"I've gotten to know Jerod over the last 15 years and I picked him 5 years ago to be our next head coach," Kraft said on Thursday night. "He's very special and it's great that he had the ability to train under Bill."

Mayo previously served as New England's linebackers coach from 2019 through 2023 before he was hired as head coach on Jan. 12.

The 38-year-old also has experience learning under Belichick on the field, as he spent all eight years of his playing career in New England. He won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award for his 2008 season and was a member of the Patriots team that won Super Bowl 49.

While five years is a long time to stick to a succession plan in the NFL landscape, the hiring process was swift. Mayo was brought in just one day after Belichick and the Patriots agreed to part ways following a 4-13 finish in 2023.

Kraft also alluded to preparing internal candidates for the role when he first introduced Mayo as head coach in a press conference on Jan. 17.

"I've been running businesses for more than 50 years, and in my experience, the most successful leadership transitions happen when we're privileged to develop talent from within," he said. "That allows us to create a succession plan that allows the candidate to better prepare for the opportunity when he arrives."

Mayo has big shoes to fill, but his first season as head coach has started off strong relative to expectations. The Patriots secured an upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 before narrowly falling to the Seattle Seahawks in overtime on Sunday.

New England will attempt to improve to 2-1 as the team faces off against the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football.