About one hour after the New England Patriots’ season ended with a 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, the organization announced via a statement from team owner Robert Kraft that head coach Jerod Mayo had been fired after just one season in charge.
WEEI’s Nick “Fitzy” Stevens and Andy Hart reacted to the news live on the 6 Rings Postgame Show, with Hart saying that he wasn’t surprised and that it “needed to be done.” Listen to the full segment above.
“I’m not surprised after today quite honestly,” Hart said. “Coming in, I was like 50/50, but the way he handled himself today and, as people jokingly said, couldn’t even lose properly, and then his postgame comments and just getting defensive with Mike Reiss … he just wasn’t ready. I keep going back to that old ESPN commercial where they put the anchor on and he swears on the air, he’s like a kid.
“Jerod Mayo was not ready for this job. I don’t know how they thought he was ready, why they thought he was ready, if he even thought he was ready, but he was not ready for this job in its totality. I wish no ill will, because I like Jerod Mayo. I think he’s a pretty good guy, but he was so over his head from last January to tonight, that it was incredible.
“It needed to be done,” Hart continued. “This was one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL. And I don’t say that with glee. I’m just telling you what I saw this season – on the field, but also culture, press conferences. Jerod Mayo was overmatched. The Krafts put him in a position that he had no chance to succeed in, and he did not succeed, and they removed him from that position swiftly.”
Check back for more reaction around the clock from WEEI and WEEI.com as the Patriots now begin a coaching search that is expected to include, among other candidates, former Patriots linebacker and Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.