From above post link.
Mayo's approach: When free agent running back Antonio Gibson arrived at Gillette Stadium in mid-March to sign his three-year contract with the Patriots, he had his daughter Taylor with him. Gibson said the way head coach Jerod Mayo showed Taylor love made an impression on him, as well as how Mayo felt like "one of the guys."
Receiver K.J. Osborn came away from his initial meeting with the feeling that Mayo is "a real down-to-earth guy." He added: "As a former player, he was really easy to talk to; he's a player's coach and I love that."
Likewise, veteran tight end Austin Hooper sat down with Mayo in the team cafeteria during his visit, with Hooper saying: "I was able to understand who he is -- a family man -- and what he's trying to build here. It was really productive."
The stories reflect what Mayo previously said would be a foundational part of his coaching style: Building bonds with players, showing he cares about them as people, before hopefully pushing them to achieve their greatest potential as players.
Can it work?
Owner Robert Kraft is banking on it after moving on from the legendary Bill Belichick after 24 seasons. The last time Kraft made a coaching switch, in 2000, it was from the lighter touch of Pete Carroll to the more buttoned-up, hard-lined Belichick. This time, Kraft said he is trusting his instincts by tapping Mayo, with the thinking that a more relational-based approach -- and overall team culture -- is the needed spark to help return the franchise to prominence.
Part of that is tied to the current generation of players coming into the NFL, with former Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty, who is part of NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" show, acknowledging, "The league is in a little bit of a transition. Players now are different than when I first came in."
McCourty, 36, entered the NFL in 2009 with the Tennessee Titans -- one year after Mayo was selected in the first round by the Patriots. He believes Mayo's approach can work, citing what he experienced himself with the Dolphins in 2022.
"I didn't get a chance to play for Mike McDaniel, but I got a chance to meet with him. I was injured and was still in the building in March [when he was hired], and we sat down and talked for probably 30-40 minutes. The first time I ever met him -- the quirkiness, and the things about him we've all seen transpire over the last two years -- that's who he was," McCourty said.
"So I look at it for Jerod, the best thing you can do for yourself is be yourself, and be honest. I think the worst thing that can possibly happen is for players to see you act one way for however many years that he's been there as a linebackers coach, and next thing you know you become the head guy and you totally flip because now more things fall on you and you have to make more decisions."
McCourty added that most players understand the NFL is a business and they appreciate honesty. He pointed to how his Patriots career ended as an example of why he holds no hard feelings toward New England -- or any of his former teams.
"From Jerod, I think as long as he keeps that the main thing, him being a players' coach -- or however you want to phrase it -- I think that's who he is. So inviting family in, showing guys 'Hey, this is who I am, this is who I'm going to be every single day whether we win or whether we lose,' I think that can go a long way."
McCourty compared this style to how Andy Reid is like in Kansas City.
"They call him 'Big Red.' They laugh with him and talk about eating cheeseburgers and all those things," McCourty said. "I called their game in Germany and they were going through some things, and I remember talking to Travis Kelce and he was like, 'Big Red had to get after us in the team meeting room, and he let us know exactly where we stood as a football team.'
"I think that's who Mayo probably was as a player. It's no different from when you're leading a huddle and you have to tell a guy about himself, but you're also enjoying moments with those guys in the locker room. I think you can do both, but you have to set a standard and an expectation for what it's going to be, and you live up to that every single day."
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