The Jerod Mayo Era was short and painful. When first announced as the successor to Bill Belichick, fans were optimistic. Mayo has coached under Belichick for several years and was formally put in line to succeed Belichick via his contract. His elevation to head coach, after the "mutual decision" to part ways with Belichick was initially viewed favorably.
Mayo's reputation was that he would be a departure from the all-business approach Belichick had taken. Kraft mentioned that Mayo was a player-centric coach when during the introductory press conference announcing the Mayo hiring.
"His dedication, strategic acumen, and ability to inspire players have been evident. On the field, Jerod is a man of faith, has a good heart, and he's often described as a leader of men, something I have been proud to witness firsthand."Robert Kraft
Being a player-centric coach only works if there is a strategy and plan behind it. One of the downsides to hiring Mayo was that, while he was able to learn under Belichick, he was also limited in his overall responsibilities. Mayo was primarily the inside linebackers coach during his tenure under Belichick. With a limited role, Mayo may not have been exposed to building the executive presence, disciplinary structure, and organization-wide approach necessary to be a head coach in the NFL.
Per Chad Graff at The Athletic, Mayo's dismissal was related to this lack of overall structure and discipline.
The Patriots quickly moved on from Mayo with Kraft admitting his mistake publicly. They quickly moved through the interview process, and it was no secret that Mike Vrabel was the favorite to land the head coaching job. Vrabel's success in Tennessee was built on a familiar formula: tough defense, a strong running game, and mistake-free football. Vrabel was brought in to reaffirm those core values in Foxborough.
Early in his tenure, it appears that Vrabel has re-established the structure and discipline missing during the 2024 season under Mayo. Vrabel established in his introductory press conference his expectations of how his players were expected to approach the game of football.
"One is to put the team first, to know what to do and play fast and aggressive. That's the vision for the type of player. Winners come in all shapes and sizes."Mike Vrabel
Particularly on the defensive side of the ball, fans and players alike should be thrilled with that sentiment. At least one player has gone on record appreciating Vrabel's style. In the same breath, though, he offered a stunning rebuke of former head coach Jerod Mayo.
"Now, I feel like I have a coach."Keion White
As the kids say, "burn". While that bodes well for where the Patriots are today, it speaks volumes to where the Patriots' mindset was in 2024. Keion White is not one to hold back his displeasure with the Patriots' performance. Notably, after a loss to Chargers, White questioned the approach under Mayo, asking, "if changes aren't made, then what are we doing?"
It's unlikely that White is the only player who felt this way. Mayo may have swung too far in the opposite direction of Belichick. Owners often take the approach of hiring a head coach who has the opposite style of a recently departed coach, particularly when the coach may have lost the locker room. Mayo, despite learning from Belichick, prided himself on his alternate approach. Unfortunately, it caused a lack of discipline and led to his dismissal.
After Mayo's firing, Kraft was supportive that Mayo could still be a head coach saying, "I know that he has all the tools as a head coach to be successful in this league." It's all fine and dandy that Kraft wanted to reiterate his support of a lifelong Patriot, but Mayo's quick firing speaks loudly. That, combined with sentiments like White's, may mean that Mayo is going to have to work his way up through the coaching ranks again before getting another shot at leading a team.
Owners don't forget comments like the one White made. While unfortunate, White's comments indicate a tough road ahead for Mayo to find his way back to leading a team.