Mike Reese, ESPN Staff Writer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Mike Vrabel has returned to the New England Patriots, hiring a former veteran as their new head coach.
The Patriots did not disclose terms, but sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Vrabel and New England have agreed to a multi-year deal. The team confirmed the hire Sunday morning, announcing Vrabel as the 16th head coach in franchise history.
Vrabel played linebacker for the Patriots from 2001 to 2008 and was an integral part of three Super Bowl championship teams. He coached the Tennessee Titans from 2018 to 2023, compiling a 54-45 regular season record and 2-3 in the playoffs, including a trip to the 2019 AFC Championship Game. .
Vrabel, who was named the 2021 Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year, replaces Jerod Mayo, who was fired on Jan. 5 after going 4-13 in his first season as Patriots coach. It will be. The Patriots plan to formally introduce Vrabel during a noon ET press conference Monday at Gillette Stadium.
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To begin the season, the Patriots also interviewed Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, and former Houston Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton.
Vrabel is most recognized as a Patriot from his playing days, which included stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1997-2000) and Kansas City Chiefs (2009-10), but he also coached in New England. There isn’t. His coaching career began in 2011 with the linebackers at his alma mater, Ohio State University.
Vrabel spent three seasons at Ohio State, followed by four seasons with the Texans, and then a six-year stint as the Titans’ head coach, which ended when he was fired after back-to-back losing seasons. In 2024, he served as a coaching and personnel consultant for the Cleveland Browns.
Vrabel, 49, who will be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2023, spoke on that day about his affinity for the team and owner Robert Kraft, saying, “This is a place with great leadership, great fans, great coaching, and great coaching. It’s a special place. It’s not like this everywhere.”
That day, he said it was his fifth time back in New England since being traded to Kansas City in 2009, and he said he enjoyed living there, including raising two sons, Tyler and Carter, with his wife, Jen. He talked about his memories. their early days.
As a New England player, Vrabel was recognized by coach Bill Belichick for his fundamental skills, commitment to team success, toughness, leadership, situational awareness, and intelligence, among other things. One area Vrabel’s Titans team has impressed with Kraft is his command of game management, which includes much of what he learned from Belichick, team officials said. That’s what it means.
One example is the Titans’ 20-13 road playoff win over the Patriots on January 4, 2020, in which Vrabel exploited a loophole in the rulebook that allowed him to burn 1:49 left in the fourth quarter without running. I was able to do it. The play — helped keep quarterback Tom Brady off the field.
In his 2023 Patriots Hall of Fame induction speech, Vrabel said the experiences he had in the locker room as a New England player remain the benchmark for what he hopes to accomplish as a coach.
“We were accountable to each other because there was trust and there was an understanding and respect that we could say what we needed to say to each other,” he said. “No matter where I coach, I try to recreate that every day. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do that, but there’s nothing more important than my team, so I’m going to try every day.”
