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The first NFL head coaching vacancy to be filled was the last one to open: The New England Patriots announced that Jerod Mayo would be promoted from linebackers coach one day after the team announced Bill Belichick was departing “amicably” following 24 seasons and six Super Bowl titles.
Belichick was the eighth head coach to step down either during or shortly after the regular season. Black Monday included firings of the Atlanta Falcons’ Arthur Smith and Washington Commanders’ Ron Rivera. Mike Vrabel of the Tennessee Titans was fired the next day, and by the end of the week, Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks had parted ways along with Belichick from New England.
Three other head coaches were fired during the season: the Las Vegas Raiders’ Josh McDaniels, the Carolina Panthers’ Frank Reich and the Chargers’ Brandon Staley.
Two general managers, the Chargers’ Tom Telesco and the Raiders’ Dave Ziegler, were also let go during the season and three more general manager spots became open this week, including in New England because Belichick served dual roles.
Read more: Bill Belichick leaves Patriots after 24 years. Will six-time Super Bowl champ coach again?
Candidates can’t be interviewed in person until Jan. 22, but many interviews have been conducted via video conference.
HEAD COACH OPENINGS
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Belichick, perhaps the greatest NFL coach of all time, suffered through only his second losing season since 2000 as the Patriots went 4-13. Still, he ranks second in career victories with 333, trailing only Don Shula (347). Expect the 71-year-old to fill one of the current openings.
FILLED: Jerod Mayo, 37, becomes the youngest head coach in the NFL. He was a two-time All-Pro linebacker with the Patriots and was elected a captain in only his second season. Belichick hired him in 2019 to coach linebackers and he was the de facto defensive coordinator. The Patriots wrote into Mayo’s contract a year ago that he would succeed Belichick and therefore didn’t have to…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-having-oldest-coach-youngest-204103262.html
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2024-01-12 20:41:03
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