The New England Patriots are entering a new era.
Bill Belichick is no longer there to control every tiny detail, and it’s officially player empowerment time.
New HC Jerod Mayo has tried to get the input of those who were also in the trenches with him, bringing in former Patriots like D’Onta Hightower and Matthew Slater to his coaching staff.
Notably, those aren’t the only guys he tried to get to come back to the organization.
In his latest appearance on Kay Adams’ “Up & Adams” show, former Patriots star Devin McCourty revealed that Mayo also reached out to him, but he claimed that he wasn’t willing to dedicate his time to that kind of job at the moment (via Carlos Talks Pats).
Devin McCourty says Jerod Mayo had asked him to join the #Patriots staff, but he declined.
“He tried to get me to coach. That’s his thing with all the older guys. He says, ‘I don’t know if they’ll walk in back to play, but we got a spot for them on the staff.’ But, nah those… pic.twitter.com/5Ii11mG5jb
— Carlos Talks Pats (@LosTalksPats) May 2, 2024
It’s nice to see that the players are gaining more ground within coaching circles.
There had always been plenty of nepotism, and the never-ending coaching hiring cycle often led to the same people landing the same jobs.
Now, guys like DeMeco Ryans and Dan Campbell have proven that the players also have the know-how to lead a team to success and, more importantly, build a culture.
Antonio Pierce clicked with Las Vegas Raiders’ players right away, and getting the team to buy in is a huge part of coaching.
Of course, the Patriots still need to make some moves and adjustments before being ready to compete for a divisional pennant again, but building a culture is the first step in that direction, and Mayo sure knows a thing or two about that.
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