Jerod Mayo returns to the business world

May 30, 2026 - 21:18

Jerod Mayo is leaving the sidelines again, this time for good. The former New England Patriots head coach, who was fired after just one season at the helm, has officially returned to the business world. Mayo spent several years working in corporate finance and private equity between the end of his NFL playing career and the start of his coaching tenure, and now he is going back to that life.

Mayo played eight seasons as a linebacker for the Patriots, winning a Super Bowl before retiring in 2016. He then took a job at a financial services firm, where he worked until joining Bill Belichick's coaching staff in 2019. After four seasons as an assistant, he was promoted to head coach in 2024. That experiment lasted only one year, as the Patriots finished 4-13 and parted ways with him in January.

Now, instead of pursuing another coaching job, Mayo is choosing to exit the sport entirely. He has not announced a specific new role, but his background in finance and his previous experience in the private sector make it clear where his focus is shifting. For a man who has already walked away from football once, this second departure feels more permanent.