A year ago, when the Patriots split from Bill Belichick, a shocking twist arrived shortly after the news was announced.
The Patriots already knew who their next head coach would be. Owner Robert Kraft had put into writing a succession plan that detailed how Jerod Mayo would take over.
It meant the Patriots didn’t have to conduct a formal search the way the league requires with multiple interviews that follow the NFL’s Rooney Rule. They were able to quickly pivot to Mayo.
But that won’t be the case this time if the Patriots decide to fire Mayo after this season wraps up Sunday with a meaningless game against the Buffalo Bills.
So after we examined on Monday what it might look like if the Patriots keep Mayo, let’s focus on what a coaching search would look like — how it would start, who the favorite would be, and how it would be different from last year.
Here’s an important place to begin: Kraft often tells those close to him, “Before I make a final decision, I measure nine times and I cut once.”
That helps explain why in his 31 years of ownership, he’s never made a coaching change without a plan. He’s never begun a search on a whim without any idea of who he might want to hire, left to just conduct a bunch of interviews with a random collection of the top candidates and see who comes out on top. Kraft likes to be prepared.
That’s worth acknowledging — and maybe emphasizing — as we discuss what a Patriots coaching change would look like if it arrives next week. It also helps explain why Mike Vrabel would become the heavy favorite for the job and the obvious place they’d start.
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Mike Vrabel? Ben Johnson? What Patriots coaching search looks like if they fire Jerod Mayo
