New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft broke down why he chose Jerod Mayo to be the head coach of the organization, as the Patriots are set to begin their season on Sunday.
Mayo assumed the head coaching position after five seasons as the inside linebackers coach in New England. He fully established himself as a member of the organization both as a player and coach. That familiarity was a major reason why Kraft decided to hire him for the job.
Familiarity could also apply to the relationship between the owner and coach. Mayo played his entire career with the Patriots from 2008-2015.
Kraft recently spoke with MassLive’s Karen Guregian and discussed his thoughts on the hiring process, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Adam London.
“I just thought having him (Mayo) and Eliot (Wolf) and Matt Groh, they’re all sort of green now. They’ve all been here,” Kraft told Guregian. “But the responsibilities, at least on Eliot, and especially Jerod, are huge.
“I’m always thinking about what’s right for the long term. Our businesses are private. I don’t need to make reports to Wall Street every 90 days. I do what the right thing is strategically long term. And I think I’ve done that with Jerod. I’m going to do what my gut tells me, and stay with it until I’m convinced it’s not right.”
This will be a season of development for the rebuilding Patriots. So this was definitely a move Kraft is hoping pays off in the long term. He’s sticking with his gut on Mayo, and Patriots fans will have to trust his decision to do so.
