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The New England Patriots fired head coach Jerod Mayo this past Sunday after defeating the Buffalo Bills 23-16 at Gillette Stadium, finishing the season with a 4-13 record and falling out of the first overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft.
Since then, the Patriots have put together a list of five candidates and have actually completed interviews with all of them over the last week.
However, before New England makes their decision, it’s important for fans to be familiar with these candidates. Today, let’s discuss the reported top option – Mike Vrabel.
Coaching History
Vrabel began coaching in 2011 as the linebackers coach at Ohio State. He moved to defensive line coach with the Buckeyes for 2012-12.
He made the jump to the NFL in 2014 as the linebackers coach with the Houston Texans before his promotion to defensive coordinator in 2017.
The Tennessee Titans made him their head coach in 2018, where he served for six seasons winning 54.5% of his regular season games and bringing them to the playoffs three times.
In 2024, Vrabel served as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns.
Playing Career
Prior to getting into coaching, Vrabel was an NFL linebacker. He was a third-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1997 out of Ohio State.
After four seasons in Pittsburgh, he signed with New England in 2001 and spent eight years with the team, winning three Super Bowls, making one All-Pro team and one Pro Bowl. He recorded 606 tackles, 48 sacks, 34 passes defensed, 13 forced fumbles and 11 interceptions while also catching 12 touchdowns as a tight end between the regular season and playoffs.
After the 2008 season, the Patriots traded Vrabel (and quarterback Matt Cassel) to the Kansas City Chiefs. He retired after the 2010 season.
Vrabel was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2023.
Potential Offensive Coordinator
If Vrabel were to come back to New England this offseason, he’d have to fill out his full staff with competent coaches, and on offense, it would have to be a coach who’s able to get the most out of 2024 first-round pick Drake Maye.
On Friday, the Athletic’s Jeff Howe reported that old friend Josh McDaniels “has a good chance of (Vrabel’s) offensive coordinator” in 2025.
McDaniels had a ton of success with Tom Brady and helped Mac Jones reach his peak in his rookie season. But, his offenses were less than impressive in McDaniels’ stops with the Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos and St. Louis Rams.
Other interviews
Vrabel is one of the top candidates during this hiring cycle, and on top of interviewing with the Patriots, he’s also met with the Chicago Bears and New York Jets.
The other teams looking for coaches (New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars) have yet to meet with the 49-year-old.
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