« He’s a leader at his core. His specialty is people. »
The Patriots acted swiftly in finding Bill Belichick’s replacement, hiring Jerod Mayo as their next head coach on Friday.
Even though the decision to hire Mayo came in an unorthodox way, bypassing the usual head coaching search process, the move was praised by current and former Patriots players.
Here’s how several of them reacted to Friday’s news.Former Patriots DB Jason McCourty
McCourty shared a pair of ecstatic reactions to the news of Mayo’s hiring on both social media and on his TV show, “Good Morning Football,” on Friday. He said he was “fired up” by the news, sharing some insight as he played in New England for a couple seasons while Mayo was on the staff.
“I’ve gotten a chance to be around Jerod, and for Patriots fans, you’ve had Bill Belichick for the past 24 years with all of the success and personality that Bill comes along with. Jerod Mayo, you heard Ian [Rapoport] say they called him ‘little Belichick,’” McCourty said. “A lot of that has to do with Jerod’s football knowledge. When he was a linebacker, he handled all the checks, he knew what everybody was doing on the football field. He’s a leader at his core. His specialty is people.
“When it comes to personality and how things are going to be, Jerod Mayo is completely different than a Bill Belichick. Jerod’s laughing at all times in that building, and he’s getting to know guys, he’s close with them. Jerod’s personality and the vibe that he has when he walks in the room, everybody brightens up, everybody stands straight up.”
McCourty added that Mayo helped the Patriots’ linebacker corps “get in the right direction” upon his arrival in 2019, when New England led the league in total defense.
“This guy’s a fantastic coach beyond just Xs and Os,” he said.
