What Bill O’Brien Would Tell Jerod Mayo Amid Patriots’ Struggles

Jerod Mayo’s first season as New England Patriots head coach didn’t inspire confidence after a 1-6 start, but a former colleague of his had words of wisdom for him.

Robert Kraft envisioned Mayo as the right man to succeed Bill Belichick. However, Mayo’s handling of the media and his management of his players and staff gave off an impression he was way over his head.

Bill O’Brien knows exactly what it’s like to be a first-year head coach, and the former Patriots offensive coordinator offered his assessment of Mayo’s early tenure.

“I’m not in the place to give advice to Jerod Mayo,” O’Brien said on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Thursday. “I coached seven years in Houston. I know Jerod. I coached with Jerod for a year. I was on the staff when he was a player. Look, just generally speaking, I think it’s really important for all younger coaches to understand it’s very, very difficult to be a head coach. When you get into that seat and maybe you don’t have a lot of experience, it’s just a different world. To go from a position coach to being the head football coach, it’s hard. There’s gonna be some learning experiences that are going to take place.

“To me, it’s all about keeping the team together. It’s very difficult. I was there last year. We were terrible. It was hard, man. We had a lot of good guys on the team, but it’s just a brutal situation. And it’s important to keep them together, and keep them playing as good as they can and try to get them improve every week. That’s the hardest thing. Being a first-year head coach in the NFL, you’re well compensated. Nobody’s feeling sorry for you, but it’s a very, very difficult job.”

There was division when Mayo called out his team for their “soft” play. Most New England players seem to take the challenge straight on, but Mayo received criticism from Belichick and former Patriots players.

Mayo’s job doesn’t seem to be at risk, but it’s clear something needs to change to bring more optimism around the Patriots.