FOXBORO — Wearing a dark suit and knowing grin, Jerod Mayo folded into his seat atop a stage set for two Wednesday and gazed at the crowd before him.

He saw his family, a former high school coach, ex-teammates and members of the last Patriots team gathered in a large, sunlit atrium at Gillette Stadium. Overhead, a slideshow looped on a large projector screen carrying images of his playing days. Now seated next to Mayo, Patriots owner Robert Kraft began reading from a statement to kick off his new coach’s introductory press conference.

But before Kraft could begin celebrating Mayo as the 15th head coach, and first Black head coach, in franchise history, he mispronounced the name of one of Mayo’s brothers. Mayo softly corrected his boss, paused and then interjected in a way that unofficially announced a new era had dawned in New England more than any formal press release could.

“It’s alright. It’s one of those Black names,” Mayo cracked. “I’ll help you with that.”

Together, Kraft and the 37-year-old Mayo spoke comfortably for most of the next 30 minutes, each starting with a statement and answering roughly 20 questions from assembled reporters. During that time, Mayo referred to Kraft by a nickname — “Thunder” — almost a dozen times. Mayo also split from his predecessor, Bill Belichick, in a number of areas, while saying he intends to build on the foundation Belichick left behind after 24 years and six Super Bowl titles.

For starters, Mayo wants a more collaborative environment, and said his goals over the next few weeks are to knock down silos and rebuild relationships within football operations.

“I’m not trying to be Bill (Belichick). Bill is his own man. If you can’t tell by now, I’m a little bit different,” Mayo said. “But what I will say is, the more I think about lessons I’ve taken from Bill, hard work works. And that’s what we’re all about.”

Foxboro, MA – The New England Patriots and Robert Kraft introduce Jerod Mayo as their new head coach. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

Mayo did not specify how he intends to remake the coaching staff Belichick left him, a process that may become complicated if Belichick takes a head-coaching job elsewhere in the league. Earlier this week, reports stated Mayo had started searching for the Patriots’ next defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator. Mayo did not shut the door on hiring a new offensive coordinator when asked — Bill O’Brien remains under contract — but said he would weigh a search.

“Everything is still under consideration,” Mayo said. “Obviously, the staff that I’ve been working with isn’t the staff that I have chosen. But everything is under evaluation.”

Mayo also indicated the Patriots would organize their staff differently under his leadership. Under Belichick, the Patriots have not named a defensive coordinator since 2017 and did not name an offensive coordinator in 2022. Belichick repeatedly said he does not believe titles are important, though establishing coordinator positions does affect hiring practices and media availability for those coaches.

“I think titles are important,” Mayo said.

As for his coaching philosophy, Mayo repeated themes of development and collaboration throughout the afternoon.

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“One thing I would say with all of my coaches, the number one thing is developing people,” Mayo said. “And with this generation — back when I first started playing, most of the time coach (Belichick) would say something, and guys would do it. I think with this generation, you have to show them that you care about them before you get into competency, as far as Xs and Os are concerned.”

He later added: “We’ve always been a game-plan team, whether you’re talking about offense, defense, or special teams. Our philosophy has to be flexible. We’re talking about on-the-field philosophy, but there’s also a philosophy in the building; like (what) you want out of the people who are really leading the team.”

Kraft explained his decision to hire Mayo without conducting a coaching search by saying he trusted his instincts in the same way he hired Bill Belichick in 2000. Kraft believes Mayo is someone capable of reaching the younger generation of players. He relayed a story about visiting Israel with Mayo and others in 2019 that sparked a belief Mayo would become a successful head coach one day.

Kraft described himself as “colorblind” in the hiring process, saying he only wanted the best person for the job. Last January, the Patriots wrote a succession plan into Mayo’s contract that allowed him to replace Belichick without first running a coaching search. As for becoming the first Black coach in team history, Mayo said it meant a lot and quickly split from Kraft on the notion of being colorblind.

“I do see color because I believe if you don’t see color, you can’t see racism,” Mayo said.

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Mayo briefly reflected on the four years he spent working at the health services company Optum, between the end of his playing days and return to the organization as an assistant in 2019. Mayo eventually became a vice president of business development at  Optum, and said Wednesday he came to value inclusion and diversity of thought during that time period. He also joked that he “needed a break from Bill,” while possibly hinting at another difference between the era that was and soon will be in Foxboro.

“One thing you’ll notice about me in our interaction, as we continue to go, is I don’t like echo chambers. I want people around me that are going to question my ideas or question the way we have done things in the past,” Mayo said. “Because realistically, this game’s a lot different than when I was drafted in 2008. At the same time, that’s why I try to spend so much time in developing young men and young women.

“So they know, I don’t want to teach them what to think. I want to teach them how to think. Once we get to that point, I think we can get back to where we need to be at the top. And I’m an open book. I’m honored, ready to go. And I’m excited to be the next head coach of the Patriots.”