This is a defining moment, one Kraft needs to align more with boldly stealing Bill Belichick from the Jets than pushing Mayo to the top spot before he was ready.

After trying to move on from the Bill Belichick era, the Patriots are now going right back to a successor much more like him.

During a midday press conference Monday, the Patriots’ owner said the team has already extended multiple interview requests to head-coaching candidates. Kraft, team president Jonathan Kraft, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith will conduct the interviews.