Robert Kraft has been able to gain a real understanding into what drives Jerod Mayo and vice versa. That relationship ultimately led Kraft and the New England Patriots to hire Mayo as the 15th head coach in franchise history.
When introducing Mayo at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, however, Kraft reflected on a specific moment in time when he knew Mayo should be the next to lead the franchise.
“While I’ve known Jerod for nearly 16 years, the week we spent together in the Holy Land in 2019 really helped strengthen my convictions about how special Jerod is as a person and how capable I thought he would be as a head coach in this league,” Kraft said during his opening statement, per a team-provided statement.