The months-long reports have proven accurate. The New England Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick mutually parted ways on Thursday morning after meetings with owner Robert Kraft saw both parties arrive at the same conclusion. It represents the end of an era in Foxboro that welcomed unprecedented success.
Belichick spent 24 remarkable seasons in charge of the Patriots, leading the franchise to six Super Bowl victories. It will appropriately be remembered as the greatest run in NFL history and succeeding Belichick will be the tallest of orders.
The Patriots will now conduct their first head-coaching search in a quarter century. Various candidates with direct ties to the organization will garner consideration. We've identified three top candidates.
MIKE VRABEL, FORMER TITANS HC
The pieces just seemed to fall in place, didn't they? Mike Vrabel's future with the Tennessee Titans became murky the moment he traveled to Foxboro in-season to accept his entrance into the Patriots Hall of Fame in person. Vrabel then rubbed shoulders with Kraft for three-plus hours in the owner's suite. Vrabel delivered a speech that seemingly placed the Patriots on a pedestal above his then-current Titans, an undeniable fact that nonetheless rubbed ownership the wrong way.
The Vrabel-to-Patriots hype machine immediately began running wild. After all, Vrabel won three Super Bowls with the Patriots as a defensive stalwart. As Tennessee's coach, Vrabel helped end the Tom Brady era by defeating the Patriots in Foxboro in the playoffs in what became Brady's final game with the franchise. Kraft likely earmarked Vrabel ever since and I’d be stunned if Vrabel doesn’t get the job.
JEROD MAYO, PATRIOTS LB COACH
Jerod Mayo has been mentioned as Belichick's potential successor essentially ever since he became the inside linebackers coach in 2019. A first-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Mayo has made a flawless transition into coaching after enjoying an eight-year playing career, all with the Patriots, that welcomed NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and a Super Bowl title. Mayo has been directly groomed by Belichick ever since joining his staff.
A player's coach, Mayo is destined to lead an NFL franchise someday soon. Mayo's days in Foxboro will immediately become numbered if the Patriots choose an external candidate over him. Expect Mayo to interview for the vacancy shortly.
BRIAN FLORES, VIKINGS DC
Brian Flores may have been the favorite in-house candidate had he been more patient. Flores joined Belichick's staff in 2008 as a special teams assistant and worked his way up the ladder to linebackers coach, spending 15 years inside the organization, including a four-year (2004-07) stint as a scout before getting into coaching. Flores then departed the Patriots to become the head coach of the division-rival Miami Dolphins.
That tenure didn't go as expected, but Flores has spent the 2023 campaign rehabilitating his reputation as the Minnesota Vikings' defensive coordinator. Flores' defense in Minnesota has undoubtedly outperformed its talent level. A one-year stop (2022) as Mike Tomlin's senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach in Pittsburgh also better prepared Flores for his next opportunity. He's identified what went wrong in Miami and has spent the previous two seasons course-correcting. Don't overlook Flores' candidacy.
