Foxborough, Mass. — For the first time in 24 years, the Patriots need a new head coach and general manager and Bill Belichick is in search of a new opportunity.

So, what’s next after Thursday’s historic split?

Finding a new head coach

Even if the Patriots have already decided on their next head coach, the process won’t be immediate, since the organization still has to meet NFL rules.

Top candidates include current linebackers coach Jerod Mayo and ex-Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.

Teams seeking a head coach must conduct in-person interviews with at least two external candidates who are persons or color and/or women to satisfy the Rooney Rule.

The Patriots can begin requesting virtual interviews with head-coaching candidates from other clubs and in-person interviews with candidates not employed by other NFL teams.

The Patriots can hold virtual interviews with coaches of non-playoff teams at any time, and coaches of a team on a playoff bye up until the wild-card games. They can also virtually interview coaches working for a team participating in the wild-card games beginning three days after its wild-card game and before the divisional round.

Starting Jan. 22, the Patriots can hold in-person interviews with coaches whose teams' seasons have concluded. They can interview coaches on teams participating in the Super Bowl from Jan. 29-Feb. 4, but only if they've completed an initial virtual interview.

GM search

The Patriots are expected to hire a new general manager to have final say on personnel decisions.

They could maintain a similar setup to how they ran business with Belichick in charge with the head coach serving as de facto general manager, but that seems unlikely.

Multiple in-house candidates could be promoted to the general manager post, including director of scouting Eliot Wolf, senior personnel advisor Pat Stewart, director of player personnel Matt Groh and director of college scouting Camren Williams. Other available GM candidates previously worked for the Patriots, including Jon Robinson, Dave Ziegler, Bob Quinn and Adam Peters.

The Patriots were permitted to request interviews with GM candidates starting Monday. Teams must also follow the Rooney Rule for hiring a general manager. Members of the front office expect changes to be made in the personnel department.

Belichick's next steps

Based on comments from Kraft, Belichick is expected to continue coaching.

"It will be difficult to see him in a cutoff hoodie on the sideline, but I will always wish him continued success, except when he’s playing our beloved Patriots," Kraft said in his statement Thursday afternoon.

Belichick also said, "I look forward, am excited for the future. But I am always very appreciative of the opportunity here, the support here, and Robert, what you’ve done for me."

Belichick can now hold in-person interviews with any of the other seven teams seeking a head coach: the Falcons, Panthers, Titans, Raiders, Chargers, Seahawks and Commanders. Other head-coaching vacancies could open up after the playoffs, as well. The Falcons have reportedly shown interest in hiring him. The Titans and Commanders reportedly will not pursue him as a head coach.

Teams with head-coaching vacancies must follow the same steps to hiring a coach, so Belichick likely won't have a new job for a while. Belichick could take Patriots assistant coaches whose contracts are up with him to a new team. The Patriots could also release coaches from their contracts to follow Belichick to his new job.

Among those assistants, Mayo, assistant head coach Joe Judge, running backs coach Vinnie Sunseri, wide receivers coach Troy Brown, assistant offensive line coach Billy Yates, defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington, linebackers coach Steve Belichick, cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino, safeties coach Brian Belichick, special teams coordinator Cam Achord and special teams assistant Joe Houston all began their NFL coaching careers under Belichick.

If the Patriots made an in-house hire, those same coaches would have ties to the team's new head coach and may choose to stay.