Jerod Mayo named as next Patriots head coach

Paris Alston: This is GBH's Morning edition. It's the end of one era. And soon the beginning of a new one. After 24 seasons, Bill Belichick is parting ways with the New England Patriots, known for his defensive strategy and game time attire that earned him the nickname The Hoodie. Belichick has been a constant for Pats fans for more than two decades. There are reports that the Pats have already hired his replacement. And joining me to talk about it all is MassLive sports reporter Karen Guregian, who has covered Bill Belichick's entire career with the Patriots. Karen good morning. Thanks for being here.

Karen Guregian: Good morning, Paris.

Alston: So first of all, is that kind of rare to have covered all 24 seasons of a single head coach?

Guregian: Um. I don't know if it's rare, but, yeah, I've made the entire run even pre-Belichick. So.

Alston: Wow.

Guregian: It's been it's been fun covering him, Tom Brady's entire time, and, you know, six Super Bowl wins.

Alston: Yeah the dynasty right? We all know all about it. And with that Karen, while this news was not necessarily a surprise given how the Pats' past few seasons have been going, it has been hard to swallow because of that dynasty and because many people here have never known another head coach. What have you been hearing from fans?

Guregian: Well, I think it's interesting that there's been — and again, not surprisingly — a lot of support for Bill Belichick, for the reasons you laid out. It's kind of all people know. And they associate winning with him. The problem, as team owner Robert Kraft laid out to us yesterday, was that three of the last four seasons were losing seasons, with the worst being this past season, with them winning just four games. And, you know, between the losses and the roster lacking the kind of talent you need to win in the NFL these days, with Coach Belichick also being the general manager and putting together the team, they thought it was time to perhaps go in another direction.

Alston: Now, you mentioned all the winning that has happened under his tenure. Of course, that includes six Super Bowl championships, the most in NFL history. What do you see as Belichick's greatest accomplishments, aside from the wins?

Guregian: Well, I think he established a culture in New England. He established a culture with the team, and it's kind of been passed on from year to year through the course of two-plus decades. You know, they call it the Patriot Way, but I think it's more like the Belichick way. And, you know, as I said, it's a culture of kind of no-nonsense, being accountable, leaving your ego at the door, do your job, we've heard all these little slogans. But I, I think that also comes with Coach Belichick, along with the six Super Bowls.

Alston: Now, we mentioned that we may know, it does appear that we know, who the next head coach for the Pats is going to be. We're seeing reports that Jerod Mayo has been hired to replace Belichick. Where does that put the future for New England?

Guregian: Well, it's interesting. First off, Jerod becomes the first African-American head coach for the Patriots. So that's notable. But I think in terms of their future, I think team owner Robert Kraft kind of wanted to keep it in the family. I mean, Jerod Mayo played for Coach Belichick. He's coached alongside Bill Belichick. And I think a lot of those traditions, a lot of the the culture that we just spoke of, I think Robert Kraft wants to continue on. And Jerod, who's a very bright-minded, player-friendly coach. I mean, he's a little different than, than Bill Belichick in that regard. But I mean, he last played about eight years ago. So he has more of a connection with today's players. He's a little more relatable than Coach Belichick. So, you know, we'll see what the future brings with him at the helm.

Alston: Yeah, hopefully he can get the team back on track. Well that is Karen Guregian who has covered Bill Belichick's entire career with the Pats and is also a sports reporter with MassLive. Karen, thank you so very much.

Guregian: Thanks for having me.

Alston: You're listening to GBH news.