Could Jerod Mayo Replace Bill Belichick? Patriots Coach Opens Up

It’s the million-dollar question in New England: When will Bill Belichick retire, and who will be the next head coach of the Patriots?

Josh McDaniels long was viewed as the most likely candidate, but his move to the Las Vegas Raiders takes him off the board — for now. So, could Patriots inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo now have the inside track toward replacing Belichick?

Your guess is as good as ours. But Mayo, who in recent years has taken head coaching interviews and drawn defensive coordinator interest, has built an impressive résumé in a short period of time. Plus, it sounds like he would want the job.

“There’s no secret, and I’ve said this from Day 1, that I want to be a head coach in this league,” Mayo said Wednesday on WEEI’s “Merloni & Fauria.” “And it’s no secret that I love New England, I love the New England states. I love this area, and my family loves this area. And they’ve welcomed us with open arms since 2008 when I first got here.

“That would be the best-case scenario.”

Of course, there’s one problem: Belichick, who will turn 70 in April, has shown no signs of slowing down.

“With that being said, like, I want to be a head coach in this league,” Mayo said. “And I’ll tell you this, and this is coming from my mouth: Bill is still as sharp as ever. This guy is still going. Like, you can say he’s getting older or whatever. This guy, he’s still there, and he still works harder than a lot of other people.”

Mayo added: “We’ll see what happens. That would be the best-case scenario, that I could stay around here. But, I’m just not sure.”

Over the last couple of seasons, Mayo and Belichick’s son, outside linebackers coach Steve Belichick, have combined to create a de facto Patriots defensive coordinator. Moving forward, Tedy Bruschi is among those who believe Belichick should give one of them the official title.