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Veteran coach Bill Belichick has confirmed what many had predicted for some weeks, that he will leave the New England Patriots having led the team to incredible success over the course of his 24-year-old spell at the Gillette Stadium franchise.

The pressure has been on the 71-year-old for some time, not least because for the second season in succession and the third time in four, the Pats have missed out on postseason action, and many will feel that the timing of his departure is pretty much spot on.

Patriots fans may well feel a little uneasy about what the future holds, as is to be expected, but those who feel that this creates a new opportunity to build a new era of success may want to back their hopeful, optimistic predictions with a wager, in which case this excellent Caesars sports book promo for 2024 will help make that bet something of a risk-free endeavor.

Belichick was a near-instant success in New England. Though his first season proved a bust, his 5-11 regular season record being the worst the team had had for seven years, he then led the team to three Super Bowl wins in four seasons, with Tom Brady’s involvement clearly being crucial.

Indeed, the veteran quarterback, whose departure from the Patriots coincided with their drop in form, spoke glowingly of his former head coach.

"I'm incredibly grateful to have played for the best coach in the history of the NFL," Brady states, according to the BBC. "I could never have been the player I was without you coach Belichick."

Patriots owner Robert Kraft also chimed in with his own praise:

The man standing to my left brought the leadership and coaching skills that were needed to make this unprecedented success possible. He is the greatest coach of all time, which makes this decision to part ways so hard. This is a move we mutually agreed was needed at this time. What Bill achieved with us will never be replicated.

Of his departure, Belichick commented:

For me, this is a day of gratitude and celebration. We had a vision of building a winner, a championship football team, here and it exceeded my wildest dreams and expectations. I will always have those great memories and will carry those for the rest of my life.

The Patriots have already moved to replace Belichick with the franchise’s linebacker coach, Jerod Mayo, being moved up to become the team’s next head coach.

The appointment is a sound one in terms of the continuity of the team, with Mayo having long-running connections to the Patriots. He won the Super Bowl as a linebacker under Belichick and, at 37 years of age, is clearly a figurehead to build around.

Back last March, Mayo had been talked of as a possible successor to Belichick.

“Well, he’s definitely a strong candidate to be the heir apparent, but we have some other good people in our system,” Kraft commented at the time.

Mayo will become the youngest current coach in the NFL, taking that mantle from Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams.

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