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History was made Wednesday in Foxborough, as the New England Patriots introduced Jerod Mayo as the franchise’s 15th head coach. Mayo, who is replacing six-time Super Bowl champion head coach Bill Belichick, becomes New England’s first Black head coach. That fact was not lost on Mayo, a former All-Pro linebacker and assistant coach for the Patriots.
“You better believe being the first Black coach here in New England means a lot to me,” Mayo said during his introductory press conference, via Yahoo Sports. “I do see color, because I believe if you don’t see color you can’t see racism.”
Several other topics were tackled by Mayo and Patriots owner Robert Kraft, including Kraft’s decision to make Mayo his third head-coaching hire since becoming the team’s owner in 1994.
“I’ve learned to trust my instincts throughout my career, and I trust Jerod is the right person to lead the Patriots back to championship-level contention and long-term success,” Kraft said, via NFL media.
Kraft said that the Patriots have hired someone “very special” in Mayo who “understands how to manage young people.”
“The world is different than 20 years ago, even 10 years ago,” Kraft said. “In all our businesses, we try to create a culture that people want to stay with and be there long term. I think that Jerod has the makeup and the chemistry, and is genuine.
“Just think about how he got elected captain in his second year with us. … He was captain in a tremendous period (for the Patriots). … I think we’re ready to kick butt.”
As far as front office structure, Kraft didn’t want to get into specifics, citing that Wednesday was a time to celebrate Mayo’s hiring. He did, however, provide some insight into his thinking regarding the team’s general manager position that was left vacant by Belichick’s departure.
“We’re looking for collaboration. … We’re counting on our internal people,” Kraft…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/patriots-welcome-new-head-coach-jerod-mayo-embraces-historic-hiring-robert-kraft-says-in-house-gm-on-table/
Author : Bryan DeArdo
Publish date : 2024-01-17 18:40:59
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