The New England Patriots have their next head coach. The team has announced it has hired Mike Vrabel.
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Multiple NFL insiders announced the news Sunday morning ahead of a packed slate of wild-card games. The Patriots then announced the news on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Vrabel officially becomes the 16th head coach in franchise history.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, this is a multi-year deal between the Patriots and Vrabel. This timeline will be key considering that the former Patriots defender will be tasked with rebuilding the historic franchise. Jerod Mayo took some steps in this process during his lone season as head coach, but he lost his job after a 4-13 season.
The Patriots did not simply fire Mayo and then hire Vrabel. They interviewed multiple other candidates. The list included Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, and former Houston Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton.
Vrabel, the 2021 Associated Press Coach of the Year, had interest from multiple NFL teams. The list included the Jets and the Raiders. However, once it became clear that the Patriots would fire Mayo, Vrabel remained the favorite to land the job.
Vrabel had a history with the team and made multiple playoff appearances as the Titans' head coach. His postseason record included a win over the Patriots in 2020.
As a player, Vrabel spent eight years in New England. He was a key cog in the defense that helped the Patriots win three Super Bowl titles. Vrabel was also named All-Pro in 2007 as the team went undefeated in the regular season and in the AFC playoffs. However, they fell to the Giants in the Super Bowl.
As a coach, Vrabel spent six years as a coach for the Titans. He posted an overall record of 55-45 with a playoff record of 2-3. He spent last season with the Browns as a consultant.
