The New England Patriots have named Mike Vrabel as their next head coach.
Sunday’s announcement comes a week after Patriots owner Robert Kraft fired Jerod Mayo after the team closed out the season against the Buffalo Bills. The team went 4-13 in New England’s lone season as head coach.
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, former Houston Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson were all interviewed.
But Vrabel, a fan favorite during his eight seasons as a player in New England, was one of the first three Super Bowl winners and a 2023 inductee into the team’s Hall of Fame. He achieved franchise and coaching success during his six seasons in Tennessee.
In hiring Vrabel, 49, Kraft is turning to another former Patriots defensive standout who, like Mayo, built a reputation as a coach for his ability to relate to players.
But Mayo, who worked as an assistant under longtime Patriots coach Bill Belichick, was a first-time head coach and struggled to get results from a young roster led by rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
After Kraft thought he had identified Belichick’s long-term successor, he had to belatedly admit that Mayo wasn’t ready to be an NFL head coach.
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But in Vrabel, we have a head coach with a resume that boasts a 56-48 overall record at Tennessee from 2018 to 2023, including a 2-3 record as part of three wins in the playoffs and AFC Championship Game appearances in 2019. Contains: A postseason berth.
Vrabel served as a consultant for Cleveland this season, but his contract has expired, leaving him open to talks with other teams. He also interviewed with the New York Jets, but the lure of New England won out and he will now look to rebuild the franchise he was most associated with during his NFL career.
