Patriots fire coach Jerod Mayo after one season

Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed, Boston Herald on Jan 5, 2025

Published in Football

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BOSTON — The New England Patriots have fired Jerod Mayo after his first season as head coach, team owner Robert Kraft announced Sunday.

Mayo’s firing comes at the end of a 4-13 campaign, one of the worst in franchise history. Mayo, 38, was hired less than a year ago and named Bill Belichick’s successor after the 2023 season.

The Patriots won Mayo’s final game as head coach 23-16 over a 13-4 Buffalo Bills team that rested its starters.

Patriots players publicly stated their support for Mayo, but team sources have described a poor culture with a lack of leadership that can make demanding and decisive decisions.

After a season-opening upset at Cincinnati, the Patriots endured two six-game losing streaks and regressed over the second half of the year. Mayo also committed several missteps with his messaging, while his locker room frequently pointed fingers after hard losses.

Fans turned apathetic to close out the season with Gillette Stadium half-empty for games against the Los Angeles Chargers and Bills. “Fire Mayo” chants were heard in the stands at both games. Fans were pictured at Sunday’s game with bags on their heads and signs asking for Mayo’s job.

The Patriots must now open their first head-coaching search in 25 years. Former Tennessee Titans head coach and ex-Patriots player Mike Vrabel is expected to be a strong candidate for the job.

Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf is currently expected to remain in his current role as de-facto general manager.

Kraft released the following statement on his decision to fire Mayo:

“After the game today, I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025. For me, personally, this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. I have known Jerod for 17 years. He earned my respect and admiration as a rookie in 2008 and throughout his career for his play on the field, his leadership in the locker room and the way he conducted himself in our community. When he joined our coaching staff, his leadership was even more evident, as I saw how the players responded to him.

“When other teams started requesting to interview him, I feared I would lose him and committed to making him our next head coach. Winning our season-opener on the road at Cincinnati only strengthened my convictions. Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team’s performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hoped. Since buying the team, I have always considered myself and my family as custodians of a public asset. We have tremendous fans who expect and deserve a better product than we have delivered in recent years. I apologize for that. I have given much thought and consideration as to what actions I can take to expedite our return to championship contention and determined this move was the best option at this time.

“I am grateful for Jerod’s many contributions to the New England Patriots throughout his career and will always be rooting for his success. I appreciate all his hard work and hope the experiences gained will help him in the future, as I still believe he will be a successful head coach in this league. I wish Jerod and his family nothing but success in the future.”

Mayo was asked after Sunday’s game if he expected to be back as head coach.

“For me it’s all about just this game, to go back to the start,” Mayo said. “It’s all about this game, and we’ll talk about that tomorrow.”

Based on an opening statement from Mayo, it sounded like he hasn’t met with the Krafts before taking the podium.

“At some point in time here, I’ll have my normal meeting with the Krafts and we’ll see where it goes from there,” Mayo said.

Mayo spent five years as a Patriots linebackers coach before being promoted to head coach. There was a succession plan written into Mayo’s contract that he would become the Patriots’ next head coach after the team parted ways with Belichick. The team fired Belichick last January, so the Patriots were able to name Mayo as their next head coach without going through an interview process.

The Patriots now must conduct a full search for their next head coach. Vrabel, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores are among this year’s top candidates. Flores was a Patriots linebackers coach before being named Dolphins head coach in 2019. He was fired from the position after the 2021 season.

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