Patriots Insider Drops Significant Note On Head-Coaching Search

With a succession plan already in writing, the Patriots were able to make a head-coaching change in the blink of an eye when they fired Bill Belichick.

New England will go through a more “traditional” search this time around, but the time in between coaches might be similarly brief.

The Patriots fired Jerod Mayo early Sunday evening and announced they completed a pair of head coach interviews Tuesday. While those candidates both seem unlikely to land the job in Foxboro, Mass., New England still might backfill Mayo less than a week after cutting ties with the former linebacker.

“Yesterday, as I tweeted, six league execs all said ‘Vrabel’ when I asked what they thought of the Pats ‘process,'” Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi posted to X on Tuesday night. “Having already fulfilled the Rooney Rule, Vrabel, who will interview Thursday (Ian Rapoport first), could be the new head coach before the weekend.”

Mike Vrabel was reported to be the frontrunner for the Patriots’ head coaching position immediately after Mayo was let go. The former Tennessee Titans head coach reportedly has been interested in the job for quite a while and the Patrots very well might have been quick to ax Mayo so they could act fast on Vrabel, who is drawing interest from other coach-needy teams.

All told, we shouldn’t be surprised if New England is on the precipice of a reunion with a former standout player who helped hang three Super Bowl banners at Gillette Stadium.