New England Patriots Name Jerod Mayo as Head Coach Bill Belichick’s Successor: ‘He Deserves It’

Mayo, 37, will become the youngest coach in NFL history and the first Black coach in New England's 65-year history

It didn’t take long for the New England Patriots to find Bill Belichick’s successor.

Less than a day after “mutually” parting ways with its legendary head coach, ESPN and the Associated Press report the Patriots and owner Robert Kraft will soon announce they are promoting assistant coach Jerod Mayo to replace him.

Mayo, 37, will become the youngest coach in NFL history and the first Black head coach in New England’s 65-year history.

“He deserves it,” one defensive player on the Patriots told ESPN upon hearing the news.

Related: Bill Belichick to Depart New England Patriots After 24 Seasons and 6 Super Bowls Wins with NFL Team: Reports

Mayo is a highly respected former player and coach within the Patriots franchise.

He was a star linebacker on the team from 2008 until 2015, when he retired from playing.

The University of Tennessee graduate was drafted by the Patriots in the first round in 2008 and swiftly won the Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year award in his first season. Mayo, who won a Super Bowl alongside Belichick and Tom Brady in 2014, was named as the team’s defensive captain in 2010.

Related: Tom Brady Says He 'Could Never Have Been the Player I Was' Without Bill Belichick After Coach Leaves Patriots

Mayo received two Pro Bowl selections throughout his career and was ultimately honored by New England when he was named to the Patriots’ 2010s All-Decade team as one of the franchise’s best players throughout the decade – a decade that also featured the likes of Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and Julian Edelman.

Teammates even jokingly referred to Mayo as “Bill Jr.” throughout his career due to his penchant for studying film and putting in time off the field to get better while on it, according to ESPN.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Mayo’s leadership within the Patriots locker room soon continued after retiring as a player, joining Belichick and the Patriots as a linebackers coach in 2019 after a brief career in finance following his retirement.

Mayo had called plays for the Patriots’ defense over the last two seasons, according to the AP.

Related: Tom Brady and Bill Belichick Talk Patriots Wins, Aaron Hernandez in Dynasty: New England Patriots Trailer

Off the field, Mayo comes from an athletic family with two brothers who played college football. His younger brother Deron Mayo is also a strength and conditioning coach for the Patriots.

Mayo and his wife Chantel Mayo have four kids together: three daughters and a son.

The Patriots’ next head coach was long expected to take over for Belichick, who he saw as a mentor throughout his career.

"I feel like I'm prepared. I feel like I'm ready," Mayo told ESPN earlier this month when asked about taking over as the team’s next coach. "I feel like I can talk to men, women, old, young, white, Black -- it doesn't matter. And hopefully develop those people into upstanding citizens and help them evolve. That's how I think about it. I feel like my calling is to develop."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.