What is the first image that comes to mind when I mention the following name?
Phil Bengston.
I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of you reading this blog post have never heard that name before. You probably associate a name like Phil Bengston with a stock broker, an attorney, or a mob informant on The Sopranos.
In reality, Phil Bengston was a football coach, and a darn good defensive coordinator, spending several years in that capacity with the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers.
I mention the name Phil Bengston as an illustration to show that both he and recently fired Patriots coach Jerod Mayo have one very important commonality, they both had to follow in the footsteps of a legend.
You see, in 1968, Phil Bengston was promoted to head coach by the Packers and he was the one who had the unenviable task of following the legendary Vince Lombardi, much like Mayo had to follow in Bill Belichick's vast shadow.
Bengston went 20-21 in three seasons with the Packers, then ironically became the interim coach of the Patriots in 1972. He then faded into obscurity.
Mayo, at 38, is too young to disappear completely. He may well latch on with another NFL or reinvent himself in another capacity.
Three days after his firing two important questions still linger: Why was Mayo hired for a job he was highly unqualified for, and was his firing unfair in light of the circumstances surrounding him?
Jerod Mayo was hired as Patriots coach for two reasons, he had the support of the veterans in the locker room, and more importantly, it was promised in his contract.
A broken promise could lead to litigation, and that was a risk Robert Kraft was unwilling to take. Forget the fact that Mayo didn't have head coaching experience, forget that he wasn't even a coordinator. Jerod Mayo was a star, a leader, and a person of high moral character. That was enough for Kraft and his brain trust to give Mayo the keys to the kingdom, experience be damned!
After a 4-13 season, characterized by sloppy and undisciplined play, poor communication, and fan apathy. Mayo was quickly shown the door shortly after the Patriots played an inspired but meaningless game in a win over the Bills.
To blame Jerod Mayo completely for this disaster of a season is both shortsighted and unfair. Much of the blame should go to Elliot Wolfe and Bill Belichick for hamstringing Mayo with a roster predicated on poor drafting and uninspired, nonathletic, and undisciplined castoffs from other teams and making it hard for him to succeed.
The Krafts should shoulder some blame for being for having a ton of cap space and choosing to be tightfisted cheapskates in refusing to help the front office make the necessary upgrades through free agency.
In truth, Mayo couldn't succeed under those conditions, but going into the season not much was expected from this team anyway. However, Mayo could have fulfilled two short-term goals that would have set him up for future success and endeared him to the media and fans. He failed miserably.
In Sports Illustrated's NFL preview issue, Albert "Bert" Breer contributed a piece on Mayo that illustrated the fact that there was a new sheriff in town and things would be done differently. For example, Mayo positioned the desk in his office closer to the door rather than around the corner as it was under Belichick to foster a need for closer communication. There was also a commitment to step away the total immersion to football within the facility. Families were welcomed inside the facility regularly, and ascetic touches like ping-pong tables and basketball hoops were added to enhance the player's enjoyment.
There is nothing inherently wrong with this approach, although such a mindset requires positive results. A four-win season is hardly a step direction. Plus, Mayo didn't do himself any favors when following an October 20th loss to the Jaguars he labeled his team as "soft" during his post-game press conference. Mayo may have been correct in that assumption, but his inability to make that claim in the privacy of the locker room may have turned a faction of players against him in that he was perceived as untrustworthy. Further incidents in which he subtly threw offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt under the bus over his play calling in a sideline interview, and a broken promise to running back Antonio Gibson that he would start in the December 27th game against the Chargers raised suspicions about Mayo's lack of accountability.
Mayo was not expected to work miracles with the roster he was given, but outside of rookie quarterback Drake Maye and corner Christian Gonzalez there weren't any players that made significant improvements or contributed to the team's success.On offense Wide receivers could not gain separation and dropped too many passes, the running game was inconsistent, and the less said about the leaky turnstile also known as the offensive line the better. On defense, the lack of a pass rush and no speed or play making ability in the secondary were significant red flags.
In essence, Mayo's inability to provide a sense of optimism for the future and his startling lack of accountability made his presence an untenable environment for the organization, the players, and the fans. He had to go.
It is unfortunate that Mayo will likely be viewed as a test case for owners who act upon fear of losing hot young assistants to other teams or a sense of morality even when they know the person they are hiring is under qualified and could possibly be way over their heads by season's end.
In the press release announcing Mayo's firing, Robert Kraft referred to himself as a "Custodian of a public asset." His own realization that the public was angry and that the asset he is in charge of was rapidly depreciating under Mayo's watch caused him to act swiftly and unceremoniously in sealing Mayo's fate.
Kraft took accountability for his mistake in hiring Mayo publicly, but that still doesn't quell any suspicions over his motives. Was it good pr? Accountability? Increased popularity with the fans? Who knows?
What is known is that this organization needs an infusion of talent, a dash of discipline, and a heaping helping of accountability to stem the tide. No magic wand will fix this overnight.
Good luck!
