“Jerod Mayo Takes the Helm: Crafting a Winning Team at One Patriot Place Amidst Coaching Overhaul”
At One Patriot Place, there is never a slow moment.
Longtime head coach Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots announced last Thursday that they have decided to part ways moving forward. A day later, Belichick’s replacement was officially announced as former assistant coach Jerod Mayo. This appointment was predetermined by contract, so the team did not need to follow the customary hiring procedure.
Mayo was formally introduced to the public as the Patriots’ head coach five days after the announcement. But he was already rather busy when he took the podium in the new Gillette Stadium atrium.
Mayo needs to assemble a coaching staff, after all. Although it is anticipated that certain personnel from the Patriots’ 2023 roster will stay on, there are going to be adjustments made.
To “knock it out soon,” as the head coach of the first team stated, is the objective.
Shortly after his debut news conference, Mayo told 98.5 The Sports Hub, “Once it was announced I kind of started working on a bunch of stuff.”
“It happened quite quickly. I’m thrilled. I can’t wait to just get to work and assemble the coaching staff. Ensure that we are properly seated. Furthermore, speaking from a leadership perspective, communication is the main issue at hand. I simply want to know what each person needs to do, and those are some of the things I’ll be working on in the near future.
Mayo, a former Patriots linebacker, became the inside linebackers coach on Bill Belichick’s staff in 2019. He continued to be a position coach for the following five seasons, but he left his mark on one of the league’s top defenses. By 2021, he and fellow assistant Steve Belichick were essentially in charge of the team.
His responsibilities now go well beyond New England’s defense. And he’s already started working to make sure he’s positioning himself and the squad for success.
Regarding positions on his staff, Mayo contacted Atlanta Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams and Carolina Panthers outside linebackers coach Tem Lukabu. There will be more questions and finally some action.
He provided a fairly clear response when questioned on Thursday on a deadline.
“As soon as possible,” he said. “I want to get going and knock that out of the park right away. It is necessary to consider events such as the Combine, the draft, the all-star games, etc. I believe it’s critical to get rid of it quickly.
The initial measures for getting ready for those occasions have already been completed. The Patriots have apparently extended an invitation to stay with Bill Belichick’s kids, Steve and Brian, in addition to reaching out to the aforementioned Lukabu and Williams. Troy Brown, the wide receivers coach, has also been selected to lead the offensive team at the Senior Bowl in early February.
Of course, there are still a lot of unanswered questions. Mayo is currently merely attempting to get the hang of being a head coach.
He does, however, have a distinct idea of what his employees ought to be able to accomplish.
He remarked, “With all of my coaches, I would say that developing people is the most important thing.”
“My main priority is to bring in developers, regardless of the role—offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, or special teams coordinator—because I view all of that as under evaluation.”
