By Cate Ewald, Contributing Writer

The Patriots have hired their second head coach since Bill Belichick: Mike Vrabel. Hours after the conclusion of the Patriots’ last game of the season, then-Head Coach Jerod Mayo was fired. Game attendance had been down all season, and fans had even been chanting “fire Mayo” during the last couple of home games. A week later, the Patriots hired Vrabel as the 16th head coach of the organization. Fans and media had suspected that he would be the top choice, given his history as a player in New England and his previous success as a head coach. 

Vrabel had a 14-year NFL career as a linebacker, and he played with the Patriots from 2001-2009. After he retired in 2011, Vrabel became an assistant coach at his alma mater, Ohio State. From 2014-2017, he served as a defensive coach for the Houston Texans, acting as their defensive coordinator for one year before becoming head coach of the Tennessee Titans in January 2018. His overall record in the regular season with the Titans was 54-45, but they were at the top of their division in 2020 and 2021, with records of 11-5 and 12-5, respectively. In 2021, Vrabel earned the title of Coach of the Year at the NFL Honors ceremony. After not being brought back by the Titans in 2023, he was an assistant coach for the Cleveland Browns, where he worked before returning to New England. 

In 2023, Vrabel returned to Foxborough to celebrate his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame. He was honored at halftime during the Patriots home game on October 22, saying in his speech, “I’ve been a lot of places. This is a special place with great leadership, great fans, great direction, and great coaching. Enjoy it—it’s not like this everywhere.” This message was one of the reasons why Vrabel was expected to take over as head coach of the Patriots. Fanatics Advisor and avid Patriots fan Ms. Burke remarked, “Mike Vrabel was always my favorite player on the Patriots growing up. I’m so excited for him to coach the team. Having seen him coach at the Texans and the Titans on [NFL docu-series] Hard Knocks, I think his attitude and work ethic are going to bring a great culture to the team and help them move forward into the next era.”

On January 13, 2025, the Patriots held an introductory press conference for Vrabel at Gillette Stadium, in which Patriots owner Robert Kraft spoke about the reasons for firing Mayo and his excitement about hiring Vrabel. Vrabel followed with his own speech before answering questions from the media. He talked about what he wants to accomplish with the Patriots, explaining, “Our goals will be to win the AFC East, to host home playoff games, and to compete for championships.” 

The Patriots also hired back former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was part of all six championship teams. Drake Maye, the Patriots quarterback, combined with Vrabel and McDaniels is going to make for an exciting season next fall. Catherine Russell ’25 says, “Maye was such a good quarterback last year, so I can’t wait to see what he accomplishes with Vrabel as coach.” The Patriots’ new coach-quarterback duo has already brought hope to New England fans like Russell, so make sure to tune in next season to find out if Vrabel was the right hire!☐ 

Mike Vrabel as a Coach (top) and a Player (bottom), photos from Google Images