Together, Glaser said, they wanted to highlight what Mayo wanted the team to represent. Notably, an asterisk is incorporated with each phrase, highlighting a key word: we, works, payoff, together. The asterisk symbolizes the north star, because, as Glaser said, the north star “constantly moves but it’s something we always strive for.” This is another core idea for the team.
One day, Mayo decided the back wall needed art — something unique and personal. Glaser, the highest-ranking woman ever in the Patriots organization, tapped into a relationship she had with Rob “ProBlak” Gibbs, a Black Boston native who is a visual artist and organizer, commissioning him to do the wall mural. The result is a grand, colorful piece that prominently features a young Black kid in a football uniform, looking at Mayo and other Patriots legends in uniform, envisioning he could be like them one day.
“Diversity matters on our staff, Black and white, young and old, former players and non-players. Players’ mental health matters. Relationships with players matter,” said Mayo, the first Black head coach in Patriots history. “People matter. What you stand for matters. You have to work at it and build it.”
Despite the significant changes in the Patriots building, the levels of respect for Belichick are still immense — the team put his picture on a wall featuring other noteworthy coaches, executives and scouts who left a huge mark in New England. Mayo, who played for Belichick and served as an assistant on his staff, will certainly lean on some similar principles; he credited the legendary coach for allowing assistant coaches like him to evaluate and write reports on draft prospects early, to get the experience.
But this is Mayo’s team. As he sees it, the most important part of his approach to leading this group is to show “warmth before confidence.”
“You gotta show these guys that you care about them,” Mayo told me. “It’s different than it was back in the day where you expect them to just do what you say. You gotta show them you care about them as a man, as a father, before you even start talking X and Os. Once you build that relationship with players then you can be tough on them. But not before. I coach out of love and my staff will too.”
Mayo’s leadership style and culture-building have left an imprint on the people he touches. Multiple people, from Wolf to Glaser to his coaches and players, raved about those facets of his person.
“(Owner Robert) Kraft couldn’t pick a better leader after the leaving of the legendary coach BB. Mayo is the right one,” Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux told me via text this weekend. “Once we get that offense clicking, we will be back in playoff mode and hopefully further. Always will be a top defense if not the best defense.”
A handful of changes that have become clear this offseason under Mayo and Wolf:
Wolf has not received the official title of general manager, but he has taken on most of the functions that a GM typically is in charge of, having control of the 53-man roster and making final decisions, like drafting players.
The son of former Packers general manager (and Hall of Famer) Ron Wolf, Eliot Wolf has been writing scouting reports since he was a kid. He was groomed to be in this spot, and with the support of well-respected front office executives and scouting directors, including Matt Groh, Highsmith, Camren Williams, Patrick Stewart and Brian Smith, Wolf and the Patriots were ready for this moment.
The 42-year-old Wolf spent 14 years with Packers to start his career, two as Cleveland Browns assistant GM and the last four seasons with the Patriots front office. In his first few months in the lead chair this year, Wolf defined his offseason goal to “weaponize the offense,” a unit that finished in the bottom three in yards and points last year. The result: New England’s first five draft picks in 2024, and seven of the eight total, were used on offensive players. The draft was headlined by Maye, but the Patriots aimed to intentionally support their QB by providing him with substantial resources to succeed. That’s something New England failed to do effectively over the last three drafts to support 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones, who is now a backup QB in Jacksonville.
2024-04-30 18:10:00
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