As comebacks to veiled attacks go, Jerod Mayo took it to the house Tuesday with his response to a recent report claiming he had “rubbed some in the organization the wrong way.”
While a bit of time passed since that nugget was first revealed in the Boston Sports Journal, along with a subsequent piece in the same outlet that had other sources describing Mayo as “arrogant, entitled and disrespectful at times,” the Patriots assistant coach offered a passionate and pointed rebuttal.
One of the favorites to replace Bill Belichick if team owner Robert Kraft moves on from the legendary coach, Mayo gave a clinic on how to deal with reports from unnamed sources and criticism in general.
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He was thoughtful, introspective, and offered the right touch of humility while diminishing the contents of the report. Mayo was open, and his responses seemed genuine.
And if Kraft was listening, Mayo said all the things the Patriots owner would want someone in his employ – and possibly his next head coach – to say in that situation.
It was hard not to come away impressed. For Mayo, it seemed like this was one part response, one part audition for a future job, whether in New England, or elsewhere. No doubt other higher-ups in the NFL took note.
Mayo began by saying he thought the remarks were an intentional hit from unidentified sources to author Greg Bedard, and possibly leaked given the timing of the report. Someone with an agenda, tossing a bomb to discredit Mayo.
While it’s natural for Mayo to think it was a purposeful slam, it should also be noted that since he’s viewed as a favorite of Kraft, and the leader in the clubhouse if the Patriots part with Belichick, reporters are going to make inquiries about him.
Still, it struck a nerve with the former player. Mayo said the report was hurtful.
“I thought about it for awhile. When people talk about rubbing people the wrong way, I mean, that’s part of the job of being a leader, is to rub people the wrong way,” Mayo said. “And I always try to be constructive and respectful with my feedback. Some people appreciate that transparency. Some don’t. But at the end of the day, if we can’t rub people the wrong way, how do you expect that you can be the best that you can be?
“And I would say, anytime there’s change, or anything like that, it’s going to be painful if someone rubs you the wrong way. At the end of the day, you have to look through all the words that really get to the substance and the meat and potatoes of what that person is trying to say.”
Ultimately, Mayo said the episode made him take pause.
“It actually helped me,” he said. “It triggered a period of self-reflection. I know it’s recent, a week old at this point, but it triggered an opportunity of self-reflection. We all have blind spots. And maybe that’s one of my blind spots.”
While Mayo still didn’t give the report much credence, he was at least open to considering the possibility that he hasn’t come across in the best way.
It was interesting to hear him make a point of saying he likes having colleagues who work with him not be afraid to openly question him.
“When it’s all said and done, I think the players understand that we as a coaching staff are trying to put them in the best possible position to go out there execute. And from a coaching perspective, I only want people around me that are going to tell me the truth,” he said. “I don’t want to be trapped in an echo chamber and things like that … but honestly, when those sources come out, you look around, like ‘Who would say something like that?’ But at the end of the day, it is what it is. I’ve taken that in, tried to absorb it, went through the whole emotional roller coaster and am trying to push forward.”
With the notion that Belichick only wants yes-men around him, Mayo’s words about wanting people to tell him the truth struck a chord.
Mayo even doubled-down on that point. He also discussed having to adapt to today’s athlete, something Belichick, now 71, hasn’t exactly embraced.
“I would say, even with this locker room now, at least defensively, those guys want transparency and they also appreciate when you’re honest with them,” Mayo went on. “At this level, there are a lot of yes-men, and yes-women around … from a coach’s perspective, our job is to put a mirror in front of your face and really show what you’re doing on the field, and hopefully you can take that out of love … that’s the way I coach. That’s the way a lot of us here coach. We coach out of love.
“Once you build that relationship with a guy, you can be tough on the players. But if you don’t have that – I always talk about warmth before confidence. Like at this stage, it was a little different back when I played, like whatever the coach tells you to do, you just go out and do it. This generation is a little bit different where they really want to have accountability, they want to understand the why, and my job is to go out there and tell them what I see on the sideline.”
Mayo was laying out a partial blueprint for why he would be a good head coach. He offered his view on leadership, which is a significant piece of the puzzle. While he’s tough, he also understands what makes today’s athlete tick. He knows how players have evolved, and what it takes to get them to perform.
Former players have also come to Mayo’s defense in wake of the report. On MassLive’s “Eye on Foxborough” podcast last week, Rob Ninkovich said Mayo has all the ingredients necessary to be a head coach in this league in 2024.
“As a player, Mayo had every tool possible,” said Ninkovich. “As a coach, I think he has even more because he’s had the best of both worlds … Him having that player-coach mentality makes him different than really any other coach that’s been with Bill (Belichick) in the past.”
Mayo doesn’t know when he’ll finally get that opportunity to realize his goal. He said he’s “kind of like a dry leaf blowing in the wind.” But he does believe he has what it takes to succeed as a head coach when that time arrives.
“I feel like I’m prepared, I feel like I’m ready, I feel like I can talk to men, women, old, young, white, Black, it doesn’t matter, and hopefully develop those people into upstanding citizens and help them evolve,” he said. “That’s how I think about it. I feel like my calling is to develop. And I would also say the role of a head coach is way different than the role of a coordinator. The role of a coordinator is way different than the role of a position coach. I look forward to the opportunity, wherever that may be.”
Of course, there’s much more to being a head coach than what Mayo revealed Tuesday during his retort to anonymous sources ripping him. But it was still refreshing to hear a Patriots coach offer an open and honest take.
Mayo took a negative and made it a positive. Instead of denying the report, or relying on the typical refrain of saying his focus was on the upcoming team, he made it an asset.
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