New Patriots coach on replacing Belichick: ‘I’m not trying to be Bill’

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo laid out his vision for his new team, saying his job is to develop talent and get the team back to a championship level.

Mayo thanked owner Robert Kraft, whom the coach repeatedly referred to as ‘Thunder’ during his introductory news conference on Wednesday.

Kraft declined to say who will be making personnel decisions in the short term but said it would be an in-house and collaborative effort, adding the team would look at outside candidates for general manager at a later time. New England, which finished with a 4-13 record, has the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Kraft said he had the same conviction in hiring Mayo as he did when he hired Bill Belichick in 2000, a decision he says was questioned at the time.

‘Football is his true passion, and I believe coaching was always his destiny,’ Kraft said. ‘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.

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Mayo is the franchise’s first Black head coach, a distinction he said ‘means a lot to me.’ Kraft referred to himself as ‘colorblind’ when making decisions for the team.

Mayo says he sees it differently.

“I do see color. If you don’t see color, you can’t see racism,’ Mayo said.

The 37-year-old coach said that Belichick had been a ‘huge mentor’ over the years and that he took away many key lessons from the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach, including ‘hard work works.’ Mayo, however, is ready to implement his own approach.

‘I’m not trying to be Bill,’ Mayo said. ‘Bill is his own man. If you can’t tell, I’m a little bit different.”

After his playing career ended in 2015, Mayo went into business at healthcare services company Optum, saying ‘I needed a break from Bill.” The team hired him in 2019 as the inside linebackers coach.

“This has definitely been a dream of mine,’ Mayo said. ‘My calling is to be a teacher and develop people…to help people see what they don’t want to see, but what they need to see.’