While I don’t agree with his long-term philosophy, I think the New England Patriots made a great decision in hiring Jarod Mayo as their new head coach. I had similar concerns about Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell’s inexperience when he was first hired, but Mayo’s qualities make him a great coach.
Campbell began his tenure with a surprising press conference about “the knees,” but Mayo expressed how honored he was to be the first African-American head coach in New England Patriots history. Interestingly, the last interview was the most thorough.
Patriots coach Jarod Mayo received racist attacks for being “woke.
Let’s start with the fact that “woke” is one of the weirdest insults in history. Because it attacks someone for being culturally or racially appropriate. Ironically, right-wing critics and fans throw this around like candy. It’s always hard for me to bring in a young coach with no prior experience as an offensive or defensive coordinator, but that’s my only problem with Mayo, who looks like he could lead the way for New England.
First, Mayo was a highly touted prospect out of the University of Tennessee when he was drafted 10th overall out of New England in 2008. During his seven-year career in New England, Mayo was a highly respected linebacker who was drafted twice and won a Super Bowl with the team. Mayo later worked in the financial services industry for three years, then joined his former team’s coaching staff in 2019 and became an in-house coach, proving to be a smart young man.
Mayo was so well-respected during his tenure that his appointment as head coach after the departure of former head coach Bill Belichick was actually written into Belichick’s contract. So Mayo took the job right after the Elite coach left and basically said in his first press conference that he was proud to be the first African-American head coach and that he didn’t want to pretend he wasn’t racist. The NFL’s biggest problem. Unfortunately, when a young player in this league makes such a statement, he gets a lot of unfair criticism from fans like: Arizona, USA; New England Patriots coach Jarod Mayo plays against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.
It is hard to believe that fans are so naive to the reality that it is difficult to work with young African Americans in the NFL. There is a catch in New England’s favor that the team will receive a Rooney Rule Award in exchange for bringing Mayo in to compete. When a minority coach is promoted, the team essentially receives upfront compensation that helps the team build a long-term talent base.
Hiring a skilled coach can be scary in the NFL, but it could be used to Mayo’s great advantage. Especially if he chooses to develop minority coaches that other teams can hire. Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots Running Back Jarod Mayo in the second half against the New Orleans Saints at Gillette Stadium.
It’s no secret that there are many right-wing fans who follow the NFL and oppose the “woke” agenda. But right now, I applaud both the New England Patriots and Jerod Mayo for speaking out against this issue. Many people don’t want to admit it, but it makes them feel guilty about their favorite sports organization. But Mayo was right when he said that pretending the organization doesn’t exist simply encourages this behavior.
