12/21/24
January 11, 2024
Bill Belichick Leaving Patriots After 24 Seasons: In what is being described as a mutual decision with team owner Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick is leaving the New England Patriots after 24 seasons, ESPN reports. The team won't seek compensation for letting him go with a year remaining on his contract, making it easier for him to coach a new team next season. Belichick's teams won six Super Bowls, 333 games (second all-time) and 21 winning seasons.
I don't know the ins and outs of the Rooney Rule. If the Pats just go ahead and promote Jerod Mayo to head coach, do they still have to interview other candidates of color?
Doubt that would happen though. I would guess that Jonathan Kraft (if he's astute) would push to hire a GM first, then hire a new HC.
It's strange thinking that the Pats are now like most other teams in the league: do their best to try to put the right pieces in place, hope to be upper level competitive and win another title at some point (in my lifetime).
posted by beaverboard at 02:52 PM on January 11, 2024
beaverboard, according to this ESPN article, "The Patriots were able to forgo the standard NFL hiring process and immediately hire Mayo because they established a succession plan in the contract extension he signed last offseason, similar to what the Baltimore Ravens did with their general manager position when Eric DeCosta succeeded Ozzie Newsome in 2019."
posted by scully at 11:03 AM on January 12, 2024
That's great, thank you. They sure kept Mayo's contract language quiet. If Pats insider Tom Curran knew about it, he wasn't saying. I wonder how much Belichick even knew about it.
posted by beaverboard at 09:12 AM on January 13, 2024
Belichick and the Pats, Pete Carroll and the Seahawks, and Saban leaves the Crimson Tide. It may not be the biggest Black Monday in terms of volume, but those are some huge names.