There will never ever be another Bill Belichick. Even though Belihick’s final seasons as head coach of the Patriots were big disappointments, that will never change his monumental impact and influence on the franchise.
Now that Belichick is no longer calling the shots for the Patriots and with Jerod Mayo succeeding him, the Patriots are now in the process of an intriguing transitory phase as they go from arguably the greatest head coach in pro football history to Mayo, who had zero head coaching experience before accepting the job.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft understands the significance of Belichick’s departure but also wants the team to move on from the legendary mentor, as there’s no sense in trying to replicate something irreplaceable in the first place.
Via Mike Reiss of ESPN:
Kraft on Mayo: On the succession plan of Mayo taking over for Belichick, Kraft said at the conference: “For us, the football side of the building has always been about Bill. We’ve been blessed to be in that situation. When you transition from something like that, in any business, you have to go in a very different direction because nobody can be Bill Belichick.”
The New England Patriots Will Look Differently In 2024
It will take time for New England Patriots and NFL fans to get used to seeing the team coached by someone who’s not Belichick. After all, Belichick coached the Pats from 2000 to 2023 and along the way steered the team to six Super Bowl titles while winning the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year Award three times.
Mayo has a tough act to follow, but the Patriots clearly have trust in him to perform his job well, beginning in the 2024 NFL season.