NFL alum Mike Vrabel was hired as the 16th head coach of the Patriots last January.
It was a homecoming of sorts for Vrabel who had played eight seasons (2001-08) with the team, earned three Super Bowl rings there, and had been inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2023. The 50-year old coach told his Patriots team (and its loyal fans) from Day One that his goals were to win the AFC East and host playoff games.
The Patriots took a huge step in that direction last Sunday night when they defeated the Ravens 28-24 in Baltimore. The win clinched the Patriots first playoff spot since 2021.
“Mike during the interview process last January showed us he had a very deep understanding of our team,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said when he announced Vrabel as head coach. “Most importantly, Mike had a clear and focused strategy on how to get us back to a championship way that is so important to all of us, but also something that I think our fan base really deserves and expects.”
Vrabel took a circuitous route before he returned to Foxboro last January. He played his final two NFL seasons with the Chiefs and retired after the 2010 season. He joined the coaching staff at his alma mater Ohio State the following year and stayed for three seasons. He left in 2014 to take an NFL assistant coaching job with the Texans for four years. The Titans liked his energy and drive and hired him as head coach in 2018. Vrabel had success in Nashville but was fired after the 2023 season after two losing records and a conflict with the team’s front office. He spent most of last season as a consultant for the Browns.
The journey may have been long but the trip may very well have been worth it. If the Patriots win their remaining two games (Jets, Dolphins), Vrabel and his team will win the division title and be assured of at least one home playoff game. Those were his stated goals when he was hired but now Vrabel probably has bigger objectives in mind. The team’s fan base certainly does. Go Pats!
