Former New England Patriots linebacker and Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel speaks during the 2023 Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Cross Insurance Pavilion at Gillette Stadium.
Eric Canha | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
The New England Patriots announced Sunday that they have hired former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel as their head coach.
Vrabel, 49, compiled a 54-45 record in six seasons as the Titans’ head coach and was 2-3 in the playoffs. He is also a former Patriots player, serving as a linebacker for the Patriots from 2001 to 2008 and winning three Super Bowl championships.
Vrabel was hired to replace another former New England linebacker, Jerrold Mayo, who was fired after just one season with the team. Mayo went 4-13 in his only year at the helm.
Vrabel serves as a coaching consultant for the Cleveland Browns through the 2024 season. His contract expires on December 30 and he is expected to be interviewed as a head coach.
Vrabel is a coveted coaching candidate in this year’s recruiting cycle. He interviewed with the New York Jets and Chicago Bears before ultimately agreeing to a deal with the Patriots.
Vrabel’s tenure at Tennessee is off to a successful start. His teams posted winning records in each of his first four seasons and made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons from 2019 to 2021. AFC Champions League. In 2021, Tennessee, as the No. 1 seed in the AFC Champions League, received a first-round bye.
However, the Titans missed the playoffs in Vrabel’s final two seasons, dropping their win total from seven to six from 2022 to 2023. State has six different starting quarterbacks.
Vrabel’s coaching career began in 2011 with the Ohio State Buckeyes in college. He spent one season as the Titans’ defensive coordinator in 2017.
As a player, Vrabel began his career in 1997 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who selected him in the third round of that year’s draft. He spent four years with the Steelers before joining New England in free agency.
Vrabel became a franchise legend during his eight seasons with the Patriots, one of the best players on the defense and instrumental in the early years of the New England dynasty. Vrabel is inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2023.
New England should give Vrabel a more stable position at quarterback during his second stint as head coach. The team selected Derek Meyer in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and he performed well in his rookie season.
In addition to Meyer, the Patriots will have the fourth overall pick in the upcoming draft and more than $130 million in cap space, according to Spotrac.
