The New England Patriots introduced their assistant coaches on Jerod Mayo's inaugural staff Wednesday - but one newly hired coach needed no introduction.
Dont'a Hightower, hired by Mayo to coach the Patriots' inside linebackers, spent a decade playing the position in New England before announcing his retirement last spring.
Hightower, a first-round pick in 2012, played alongside Mayo from 2012-2015 and played under him in 2019 and 2021 when Mayo was the linebackers coach.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Hightower finished his career with 114 starts, 569 tackles and three Super Bowl rings - accompanied by a long-lasting relationship with Mayo that he's parlayed into his first coaching opportunity.
"He was my little brother when he got here and one of the smartest players that I've been around," Mayo said. "We've been talking about this for a while. I'll be honest with you. We've been talking about it for a while."
Last offseason, Mayo declared Hightower would be a "phenomenal" coach and joked he'd try to recruit his former teammate upon becoming head coach.
Little did Mayo know he'd get the chance less than one year later - but still, he conducted a legitimate search to fill the vacancy at linebackers coach, the perch he'd previously held upon entering the coaching industry.
By the end of the search, Mayo believed Hightower had the best blend of track record and intangibles.
"Hightower has always really wanted to coach," Mayo said. "He was a coach on the field. Obviously, he took the torch and ran with it. As far as the championships and the leadership skills that he has, it was very important, but it wasn't like a yesterday, 'hey man, you want to be my linebacker coach'? This was an extensive search."
Hightower is following the same career path as Mayo, who retired after the 2015 season and didn't return to football until Bill Belichick hired him to coach the linebackers before 2019.
The 33-year-old Hightower didn't play in 2022 before formally retiring in 2023, a year in which he ultimately took off. Now, he's back on the sidelines in New England coaching the position he once played.
Mayo turned his experience into a head coaching gig. Hightower hopes to stay around the game for a long time.
So, advice?
Mayo has it in spades.
"Just to be a sponge, the same way he was when he came in as a player," Mayo said. "Just try to learn from as many people as possible."
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