New England Patriots Hire Mike Vrabel As Head Coach
They wasted no time firing Jerod Mayo as head coach after the last regular season game. Now they have moved expeditiously again in selecting his replacement. And their choice is not at all surprising as his name was immediately thrown out for consideration. After completing an interview on January 9 the New England Patriots made the decision to hire Mike Vrabel as their 16th head coach. And just about everyone is very happy with the decision.
Vrabel had previously been the head coach of the Tennessee Titans. He was with the team for six seasons. During that time he took the team to the 2019 AFC Championship. In 2021 they were the AFC No. 1 seed but lost to the Bengals. His overall record including the playoffs was 56-48. But in January 2024 the Titans parted ways with Vrabel. Controlling Owner Amy Adams Strunk referred to Vrabel as “passionate and genuine.” Those are things the Patriots could use to help revitalize their team.
This is the fourth head coach hire by CEO Robert Kraft since purchasing the team in 1994. The other three coaches were Pete Carroll (1997-1999), Bill Belichick (2000-2023) and Jerod Mayo (2024). According to ESPN Patriots reporter Mike Reiss, there are good reasons for hiring Vrabel. He has proved he can build a winning culture and will bring order and structure. Belichick often noted how Vrabel was one of the smartest players he had coached. Furthermore, the Patriots need a commanding leader to unify all aspects of their football operation, something that got away from them in recent years.
New England Patriots Hire Mike Vrabel As Head Coach
So since Vrabel seemed to be the better option for the team why did Kraft go with Mayo instead? Reiss goes on to explain:
“New England had language in Mayo’s contract to become Belichick’s successor, but team sources said Vrabel’s unexpected availability in January 2024 after being fired by the Titans made some within the team wonder whether those plans should be shelved in favor of Vrabel. They ultimately were convinced enough in Mayo to stick with the original plan.”
“Kraft had a front-row seat to Vrabel’s leadership during his playing career and then as an opposing coach who had success against New England. It doesn’t hurt that Vrabel is a Patriots Hall of Famer who spoke glowingly about the organization at his team induction.”
I think hiring Vrabel is a good choice for the Patriots; but I wish they had done it last year. What they put Mayo through was unfair to him and may impact his ability to get another head coaching position.
**Want Even More Sports, News, Hot Takes, Stats as well as Athlete Celebrity Sighting Updates; Insights as well as Trends? Well, be sure to join all of us Sports Feens over on Youtube to get an additional sports fix; and also don’t forget to check out all of our new Podcast topics and episodes. Plus, get fast highlights and trivia daily by following us on TikTok. Just Click HERE**
Thoughts on New England Patriots Hire Mike Vrabel As Head Coach? Well let’s connect then you Feen! We are always around on social media posting as well as chatting away. And we would love to hear some POV from you. Therefore, join the discussion and talk all things Sports Feen; athletics as well as breaking industry news related with us by dropping a comment or two. Get into our comment section on YT; or also hit us up on our TikTok page or tweet us @SportsFeen.
