Bill Belichick Out: 12 Potential Candidates to Replace the New England Patriots Legend

According to ESPN and pretty much every other source imaginable, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are parting ways. The epic 24-year run is finally coming to an end.

Belichick is the greatest head coach of all time. The man has been to nine Super Bowls, winning six of them. He has 31 playoff wins, most of all time. He leads everyone in the most division championships with 19. He's a three-time Coach of the Year winner, and widely known for being one of the most influential defensive minds ever. And this doesn't even include all the work he did before coming to New England.

While I do agree that players win games, a quality head coach (especially in football) is essential. Think about what the Patriots have been known for over the past two decades. Terms like 'disciplined', 'mistake-free', and 'intelligent' come to mind. In fact, they have feasted off other teams' mistakes.

So, where do the Patriots go from here? How do you replace a legend? The team will have plenty of options.

The most likely candidates are two former Belichick players, one being Mike Vrabel, who was recently fired from the Tennessee Titans due to an apparent power struggle with the front office. Vrable has a lot of success during his career with Tennessee, including three playoff trips. However, the last two years had been a slog, primarily dealing with major quarterback issues.

The other top candidate will be Jarod Mayo, the current New England defensive coordinator. Mayo has been an excellent leader on and off the field. Many even believe he's the natural successor for Belichick. However, is that what Robert Kraft really wants at this time?

Those two might be the leaders in the clubhouse, but there's certainly plenty of other fish in the sea. Below, you can see many of those names that might be candidates for the job (Josh Mcdaniels and Bill O'Brien were not included. They are dreadful).

Happy Trails to Bill. Thanks for incredible memories. I look forward to he and Tom Brady being best buds again.