New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft on Monday blamed himself for having to fire Jerod Mayo, saying he put the first-year head coach in an “untenable” situation.
Kraft met with the media one day after firing Mayo following a 4-13 season. The Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills 23-16 on Sunday to halt a six-game losing streak, and Kraft fired Mayo afterward.
On Monday, Kraft said Mayo wasn’t ready for the job.
“This whole situation is on me,” Kraft said. “I feel terrible for Jerod, because I put him in an untenable situation. I know that he has all the tools as a head coach to be successful in this league. He just needed more time before taking the job.”
Kraft said that the front office will remain and that the coaching search will be headed by Eliot Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith. Kraft said he as well as his son Jonathan will select the next head coach.
Mayo, 38, was in his first season on the job after replacing legendary Bill Belichick after last season.
The Patriots defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Mayo’s debut and then dropped their next six games. New England won two of its next three games before the second six-game skid that ended with a 40-7 beatdown by the visiting Los Angeles Chargers.
“I don’t like losing. I don’t like losing the way we lost,” Kraft said. “Things were not developing the way we would have liked. It was time to move on.”
New England, which won six Super Bowl titles under Belichick, missed the playoffs for the third straight season. The Patriots haven’t won a playoff game since winning the Super Bowl following the 2018 season.
“In the end, I’m a fan of this team first,” Kraft said. “And now, I have to go out and find a coach who can get us back to the playoffs and hopefully championships.”
One available coach who should interest the Patriots is Mike Vrabel, who recorded a 54-45 record in six seasons with the Tennessee Titans from 2018-23. He guided the Titans to three playoff appearances, including a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019 season’s AFC title game.
Vrabel, 49, also played for the Patriots from 2001-08 and earned three Super Bowl rings.
