Patriots schedule interview with rumored top head coaching candidate
The New England Patriots will reportedly speak with Mike Vrabel this week about their open head coaching job.
As the New England Patriots coaching search begins, multiple reports have pointed to Mike Vrabel as one of the favorites if not the favorite to land the job. On Tuesday, we learned the team isn’t wasting any time getting him in the building.
According to Mark Daniels of MassLive, the Patriots will interview Vrabel for their head coach opening this week. They’re one of a handful of teams showing interest in Vrabel. The 49-year-old has already interviewed with the New York Jets, will interview with the Chicago Bears on Wednesday, and also reportedly has interest from the New Orleans Saints.
Vrabel is viewed by many as the top experienced head coaching candidate available this year. After working as an assistant at Ohio State and then with the Houston Texans, he was hired as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans in 2018.
In six years in Tennessee Vrabel went 54-45 with three trips to the playoffs including an AFC Championship Game appearance in 2019. After getting dismissed at the end of the 2023 season, Vrabel spent this past year as a consultant with the Cleveland Browns.
Prior to getting into coaching, Vrabel had a 14-year NFL career that included eight seasons with the New England Patriots. In New England he was a three-time Super Bowl champion who was named to the Patriots’ All-2000s team and All-Dynasty Team, and was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame last year.
While Vrabel has experience in New England as a player, his coaching resume is completely independent from the Patriots. The closest he’s been to the Patriots’ program is when he worked under Bill O’Brien in Houston. He’s proven his program can work elsewhere, based on what he did in Tennessee.
If Vrabel were to be the hire, there would be considerable attention paid to who his offensive coordinator will be. As a defensive coach, he’ll have to pick somebody to work on improving what was the 30th ranked offense in the NFL in 2024, and continue to develop quarterback Drake Maye.
Vrabel is the second person who is reported to be interviewing for the Patriots’ head coaching job. The team will also speak with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson this week.
