Jerod Mayo’s relationship with Bill Belichick seems non-existent.
During an appearance on the “Up & Adams” show with Kay Adams on Monday, Mayo explained the two have barely spoken since he took over as head coach of the Patriots after the team and Belichick parted ways in January.
“So, that’s a tough question,” Mayo said when asked if Belichick reached out. “We haven’t had a lot of communication since I’ve been here. And honestly, for me, my focus is the players. It’s all about the players.”
Belichick, 72, and the Patriots won six Super Bowl titles together in his 24-year tenure in Foxborough.
Mayo, 38, was a Super Bowl champion linebacker across eight season with the Patriots, and rejoined the organization as the team’s linebackers coach under Belichick for the past five seasons.
The Patriots announced Belichick was leaving the franchise on Jan. 11 and reports surfaced that Mayo was his replacement one day later.
“I learned a lot from Bill, I honestly did — X’s and O’s and also, you know, structure in practice and things like that. But, like I said, it’s a different time, it’s a different era and hopefully we can have that same success,” Mayo said.
Adams, who previously worked at NBC in Boston, emphasized that New England has a reputation for holding a “tough a–” training camp.
“New England fans don’t want to hear that it’s an easier camp, it’s a lighter camp — and it’s not, right?” she asked.
“No, not at all,” Mayo replied. “And I would also say the first five days, that’s the acclimation period that every team has to go through.”
Mayo then shut down what he said is the narrative that he’s “a player’s coach.”
He is dealing with perhaps his first big issue as a head coach with star Matthew Judon’s contract standoff that led to an animated discussion during Monday’s practice.
“I don’t like to — look, they can say whatever they want to say. For me, it’s about accountability,” he said. “It’s about are these guys being professionals?
“It’s not about setting a bunch of rules … You’re a professional. Take ownership of your career. And let’s go out here and ball out. And if you as an individual play well, then your respective side of the ball is going to play well and that leads to the team playing well — and I challenge the guys with that.”
Mayo explained he wants to be known as a great coach.
“I mean, that’s what it comes down to,” he said. “And what lever I decide to pull to get these guys going, that’s part of the skillset that I feel pretty strongly about.”
Belichick previously said he wants to continue coaching.
However, while teams around the league were preparing for training camp, the future Hall of Fame coach was in the news about his relationship with 23-year-old Jordon Hudson.
The couple, whose relationship became public in June, were spotted bike riding together in Nantucket last week.
Credit: Source link
