Nearly double-digit head coaching jobs were available after the NFL regular season ended, and while former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel couldn't secure one of those jobs, he may have a place to stay in the game for at least next season — the University of Wisconsin.
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Ex-Titans coach Mike Vrabel is welcome at Wisconsin, Luke Fickell says: https://t.co/FNS5SudIcA pic.twitter.com/OkFlWf8Zr2
— 247Sports (@247Sports) February 7, 2024
Appearing on ESPN Wisconsin's "Wilde & Tausch" show, Badgers head coach Luke Fickell, a longtime friend of Vrabel's, discussed the possibility of him being around Wisconsin in some way, shape or form.
"I talked to him, I think, on Saturday, and we hadn't communicated for probably a week or so just because the process was going," Fickell said Wednesday during an interview with the ESPN program. "He sounded like a new man. And I'm not sure exactly if this was his choice, or what it is the future it looks like, but I know that we're going to have a visitor here that's going to spend a little bit of time, hopefully around us. Starting, coming up in the spring and some things like that, see how much, how deep we can get involved with my buddy and get him around here."
Vrabel, a three-time Super Bowl winner as a player and the 2021 Coach of the Year, went 54-45 over six seasons with the Titans. One of the more memorable moments of his tenure was his displeasure with former Titans general manager Jon Robinson over trading wide receiver A.J. Brown during a draft to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Mike Vrabel won the power-struggle with Jon Robinson. This was his reaction to the A.J. Brown trade during the Draft.
Of course, it was also Robinson that drafted Brown in the 2nd round in the first place. Gave the Titans 4 cheap rookie years and then flipped him for a 1st. pic.twitter.com/mMUryPNlkC
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 6, 2022
He led the Titans to three straight playoff appearances and was one game away from reaching the Super Bowl in 2019.
After he and the Titans parted ways, Tennessee replaced him with Brian Callahan, the former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator.
A pairing of Vrabel with Wisconsin in some capacity could be an excellent fit.
Fickell, who had plenty of success while with the University of Cincinnati, didn't exactly have that same level of accomplishment with Wisconsin. The Badgers won just seven games this past season; and in four of those games, they scored 14 points or less.
We'll see if Vrabel decides to hang out there for a season. He'll undoubtedly get opportunities following the 2024-25 season.
