Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has shared his blunt reaction to the franchise’s firing of Jerod Mayo. 

Mayo had been hired as Belichick’s successor last year after the veteran coach parted ways with the Patriots following 24 seasons and six Super Bowl victories in New England. 

However, Mayo, a former Patriots player, lasted just under 12 months in the position, being axed by owner Robert Kraft Sunday evening about an hour after the final whistle in their Week 18 matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

The 38-year-old bowed out of New England in spectacular fashion, overseeing the Patriots to a win in what was to be his final game in the job and costing the franchise the No. 1 overall Draft pick in the process. 

Almost a year on from his exit, Belichick remained тιԍнтlipped on his thoughts on Mayor’s short-lived tenure.  

The 72-year-old, who was surprisingly hired as the new head coach of the University of North Carolina – his first collegiate role – last month, insisted he hadn’t heard from the franchise since the news broke. 

“I don’t have too much of a comment on the Patriots situation..They have their decision makers and Mayo was handpicked by Robert Kraft..They haven’t called me and asked” 😂😂Coach Belichick #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/0zFLFep0ie

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 6, 2025

Jerod Mayo was fired as the head coach of the New England Patriots on Sunday 

Mayo’s predecessor Bill Belichick weighed in on the dismissal on Monday’s Pat McAfee Show 

‘The Patriots’ situation, honestly, I don’t have too much of a comment on that,’ Belichick said on Monday’s episode of the ‘Pat McAfee Show.’

‘Robert Kraft, Jonathan Kraft, Robyn Glaser, they’re the decision makers there. …. Mayo was hand-picked by Robert, but in the end the decision-making is something they’d have to comment on. 

‘I really don’t know from the outside looking in. They haven’t called me and asked, so I don’t know.’ 

Mayo spent more than a decade playing for and working under Belichick as a linebacker and then linebackers coach.  

He joined Belichick’s staff as the inside linebackers coach in 2019 and held the тιтle through the 2021 season before becoming the linebackers coach for the next two seasons. 

In his one and only season as the Patriots head coach, Mayor led the team to a 4-13 record, seeing them come away with the No. 4 pick in this year’s draft. 

Patriots owner Kraft described the dismissal of Mayo as ‘one of the hardest decisions I have ever made.’  

‘I am grateful for Jerod’s many contributions to the New England Patriots throughout his career and will always be rooting for his success,’ Kraft’s statement read.

Belichick, who spent 24 years in New England, was named UNC’s new head coach last month

‘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’s former Patriots teammate and Belichick’s former player Rob Gronkowski shared a more emotional reaction to the news, slamming the dismissal as unfair. 

‘I was shocked by that,’ Gronkowski said on the Fox studio show Sunday. ‘To happen that soon was a shocker to a lot of people. Especially here at the desk. We were all surprised by that. 

‘I think it was unfair to coach Jerod Mayo. I mean, he never had the chance to develop as a head coach. He was just a rookie himself in that department. If you judge a coach by their first year, that’s really not appropriate. Jimmy Johnson, you went 1-15 in your first year and you won a couple Super Bowls after that.’