Patriots hire Jerod Mayo as head coach: Bill Belichick's former LB will succeed him in New England

Jerod Mayo is the new No. 1 in Foxborough

The New England Patriots have found their new leading man. Robert Kraft has tapped linebackers coach Jerod Mayo to ascend as the organization's next head coach and succeed franchise icon Bill Belichick, CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones reports.

Mayo was looked at as the odds-on favorite to land this role even before Belichick and the team parted ways on Jan. 11. Last offseason, the team came out with an unprecedented statement saying that they had engaged Mayo in contract extension talks to keep him in New England and prevent him from opting for any head coaching opportunities elsewhere. That effort by the team along with Kraft explicitly even stating that Mayo was "a strong candidate to be the heir apparent" made it clear that he was a legitimate head coach-in-waiting in Foxborough.  

This was a quick turnaround for the franchise to identify Mayo as its next head coach and was made possible, as NFL Media previously reported, because they had established a contractual succession plan and had previously communicated that to the league. Per NFL rules, a contract can include an agreement to become the club's next head coach, provided the agreement is filed with the league office, which New England did in this instance and allowed them to forgo the Rooney Rule and other standard hiring procedures.