NFL

Patriots promote Jerod Mayo to head coach

Parting ways with legendary head coach Bill Belichick was obviously the wrong move, but elevating Mayo to replace Belichick makes sense. New England drafted Mayo in 2008, and he was on staff as the Patriots’ inside linebackers coach for the past five seasons — experience that should serve him well as he guides the franchise forward.

Grade: A-

Commanders hire Adam Peters as general manager

It’s difficult to assess how an executive with zero experience as a general manager will fare at the position, but Peters previously worked as San Francisco’s assistant general manager, which certainly attracted the Commanders to him. Peters is entering an intriguing situation in Washington with new ownership, the opportunity to hire a new head coach and the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft, which should give him a fair chance at success.

Grade: A-

NCAAF

Alabama hires Kalen DeBoer as head coach

Replacing Nick Saban at Alabama is an impossible task, but Kalen DeBoer is taking a shot at it. The 49-year-old has won virtually everywhere he’s been, from Sioux Falls to Washington, and Crimson Tide fans will be expecting those winning ways to follow DeBoer to Tuscaloosa. Two problems with this hire are DeBoer has minimal, if any, ties to the south, and he didn’t recruit particularly well with the Huskies. Nick Saban was a monster on the recruiting trail, so DeBoer will have to do better to compete with Georgia in the SEC and Ohio State, Oregon, Texas and Michigan nationally. This is a decent and somewhat splashy hire, but I would’ve opted for Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, an Alabama alumnus.

Grade: C+