Why did the Patriots hire Mike Vrabel? New England brings former Titans coach home after quick search

When the Patriots fired coach Jerod Mayo after only one season, many expected them to quickly turn their attention to Mike Vrabel. It didn't take long for those expectations to become reality.

New England agreed to a deal to make Vrabel the franchise's next head coach on Sunday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The sought-after former Titans coach who spent the bulk of his playing career in a Patriots uniform has officially been anointed as the franchise's next head coach.

By firing Mayo, the Patriots could have used another rough season as an opportunity to completely move on from the Bill Belichick era. Instead, they hired someone who spent eight seasons under Belichick as a player and four more with Belichick understudy Bill O'Brien in Houston.

Here's what you need to know about why the Patriots hired Vrabel as their next head coach.

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Why did the Patriots hire Mike Vrabel?

Vrabel didn't find a landing spot after his surprise firing in Tennessee a year ago, but make no mistake about it: He was widely considered a top head coaching candidate this offseason and was in the mix for nearly all vacancies due to his strong track record with the Titans.

A 14-year NFL veteran as a linebacker, Vrabel earned a reputation as a culture-setter in Tennessee. In a league loaded with offensive-minded coaches, Vrabel found success as someone with a defensive background who commanded the respect of the locker room while not being too tough on players.

For the Patriots, culture seems to be front-of-mind after Mayo's rocky season as head coach. A report by The Athletic detailed how Mayo surprised players and coaches by playing cards on the team's flight home after an ugly loss in Arizona, and owner Robert Kraft noted in his press conference following the decision to fire the young coach that Mayo wasn't quite ready for the job.

In Vrabel, the Patriots have someone they know can do the job. Vrabel went 54-45 over six seasons in Tennessee, getting as far as the AFC championship game without an elite quarterback. New England believes it has its solution at quarterback in Drake Maye, and while Vrabel's offensive coordinator hire will be crucial, the ex-Titans coach has proven he can help the rest of the roster coalesce around the quarterback.

The Titans dropped from 6-11 in 2023 to 3-14 in 2024 despite adding a handful of veterans in the offseason, including L'Jarius Sneed and Calvin Ridley. Tennessee's point differential also worsened from -62 to -149, supporting the idea that Vrabel can raise a team's floor. After back-to-back years near the bottom of the NFL, the Patriots likely see Vrabel as a coach who can quickly push the franchise back to respectability.

Also helpful is Vrabel's familiarity with the organization. He spent eight seasons with the Patriots as a starting linebacker, winning three Super Bowls and earning All-Pro honors in 2007.

Mayo's New England roots ultimately didn't mean much, but Mayo had never coached or played professionally beyond the Patriots. Vrabel played in Pittsburgh and Kansas City, and he coached in Houston, Tennessee, and Cleveland in addition to Ohio State.

It all led him back to New England, where the Patriots are banking on Vrabel being a long-term solution a year after the end of the Belichick era.

MORE: Why the Patriots fired Jerod Mayo after one season

Mike Vrabel contract

The details of Vrabel's contract with the Patriots have not yet been reported.

Mike Vrabel playing career

Vrabel spent 14 seasons in the NFL as a linebacker after the Steelers selected him No. 91 overall in 1997 out of Ohio State. A rotational piece in his four seasons in Pittsburgh, Vrabel emerged as a starter with the Patriots in 2001 and helped the team win three Super Bowls during his tenure. 

New England traded Vrabel to the Chiefs along with QB Matt Cassel in 2009, and he closed out his career with two seasons as a starter under Todd Haley in Kansas City.

Vrabel finished his career with 762 tackles, 57 sacks, 11 interceptions, and 19 forced fumbles. 

MORE: Jerod Mayo's wife blasts 'fake stories' after husband's firing

Mike Vrabel coaching record

Vrabel went 54-45 over six seasons with the Titans, starting his tenure with four consecutive winning seasons and reaching the playoffs in three consecutive seasons from 2019-21. 

The 49-year-old previously spent four seasons on the Texans' staff, including one as defensive coordinator, and spent the 2024 season as a coaching consultant with the Browns.