The New England Patriots are turning to a player from their dynasty years to return glory to the franchise.
On Sunday, it was announced Mike Vrabel was the head coach of the AFC East team.
He’s back!
Patriots Hall of Famer Mike Vrabel returns to New England as our 16th head coach. pic.twitter.com/a3r7IQNzvk
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 12, 2025
Vrabel was formerly the coach of the Tennessee Titans. With the AFC South team, he compiled a record of 54-45 in six seasons. He was 2-3 in playoff games. The Patriots will play at the Titans in 2025.
He played for the Patriots for eight seasons in a career than spanned 1997 to 2010 and also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs.
Vrabel is the seventh person to become the head coach for a franchise he once helped win a Super Bowl as a player, joining Jerod Mayo, Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg, Art Shell, Jeff Saturday and Jason Garrett.
Vrabel replaces Jerod Mayo, who was fired after one season. Mayo replaced the iconic Bill Belichick. Vrabel was a three-time Super Bowl champion with New England.
Team owner took the blame for hiring and firing Mayo as the Patriots went 4-13.
“After the game today, I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025. For me, personally, this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. I have known Jerod for 17 years. He earned my respect and admiration as a rookie in 2008 and throughout his career for his play on the field, his leadership in the locker room and the way he conducted himself in our community. When he joined our coaching staff, his leadership was even more evident, as I saw how the players responded to him. When other teams started requesting to interview him, I feared I would lose him and committed to making him our next head coach. Winning our season-opener on the road at Cincinnati only strengthened my convictions. Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team’s performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hoped.”
“… I am grateful for Jerod’s many contributions to the New England Patriots throughout his career and will always be rooting for his success. I appreciate all his hard work and hope the experiences gained will help him in the future, as I still believe he will be a successful head coach in this league. I wish Jerod and his family nothing but success in the future.”
