On Sunday, the New England Patriots officially hired former Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel.
Homecoming: Mike Vrabel and the Patriots reached a multi-year agreement to make him New England’s next head coach, per sources.
Vrabel now is the seventh individual to become the head coach for a franchise he once helped win a Super Bowl as a player, joining Jerod Mayo, Bart… pic.twitter.com/LR3cpdHNQf
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 12, 2025
Although New England did not disclose terms, Schefter reported that the team and Vrabel agreed on a multi-year contract. Vrabel will be the Patriots’ 16th head coach in franchise history, following Jerod Mayo, who was fired one week ago after a victory against the Buffalo Bills.
About Vrabel
Vrabel was voted Coach of the Year in 2021 with the Titans after leading the team to a 12-5 record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC. After a shaky 2023 season, Vrabel was fired by the Titans. He held a 54-45 regular-season record and 2-3 mark in the playoffs, with an AFC Championship appearance in 2019.
Before being the Titans head coach, the 49-year-old had been in coaching since 2011. He began as a linebackers coach for Ohio State, where he would spend his time until the Houston Texans and Bill O’Brien hired him in the same position in 2014.
After two years in that position, Vrabel was promoted to defensive coordinator, where the Titans eventually picked him up as the team’s head coach.
Vrabel spent thirteen years in the NFL as a player, including seven with the Patriots, where he won three Super Bowls.
Patriots Interest
After his firing from the Titans, it felt that the former Patriots linebacker would easily get the position to succeed Bill Belichick. Vrabel’s close relationship with the organization has been extremely apparent over the years. During the 2023 season, Vrabel was voted into the Patriots Hall of Fame and was honored at Gillette Stadium during the Titans bye week.
Mike Vrabel to Patriots fans when he was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame in 2023: “I’ve been a lot of places. This is a special place with great leadership, great fans, great direction, and great coaching. Enjoy it — it’s not like this everywhere.” pic.twitter.com/RwD4XClrXv
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 12, 2025
“I’ve been a lot of places. This is a special place with great leadership, great fans, great direction, and great coaching. Enjoy it — it’s not like this everywhere.”
The Athletic’s Chad Graff reported recently that Vrabel has been interested in the Patriots job for some time now. So the question has to be asked: why did the team choose to hire Jerod Mayo last year instead?
Well, it’s simple.
According to his contract, New England had already decided on Mayo as Bill Belichick’s successor. The team could not hire Vrabel without buying out Mayo’s deal.
In turn, they gave it a year with Mayo. It did not work, and they quickly moved to Vrabel.
The team should feel extremely lucky that Vrabel was still available.
My belief is that Vrabel being available took many by surprise and we could’ve easily ended up here a year ago. Language in Jerod Mayo’s contract and belief in Mayo led to executing the succession plan.
Now, with a second chance to hire Vrabel, the #Patriots get it done.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) January 12, 2025
Organization Changes
Vrabel is expected to have a say in all front office and coaching decisions. Immediately after being hired, Vrabel brought in someone.
Mike Vrabel wanted Ryan Cowden to be the Titans general manager. Now, the experienced personnel exec will follow Vrabel to the Patriotshttps://t.co/dr7ZuDAcf4
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) January 12, 2025
Ryan Cowden, a former Titans and Giants front office member who Vrabel wanted to be the Titans general manager.
The main focus for Vrabel now is filling out his staff. The most important would be offensive coordinator.
Vrabel managed to find good offensive coordinators, with current Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in 2018 and 2019. Vrabel struggled to find a new coordinator after Smith departed for the Atlanta Falcons, partially resulting in his firing in 2024.
One name to watch in Vrabel’s search for an offensive coordinator? Former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
The Patriots have a big offseason ahead of them.
Leave a comment