Patriots Players Reveal Mike Vrabel’s Greatest Coaching Skill
Vrabel knows how to connect with his players
Everyone knows Mike Vrabel is a great coach. He’s already an AP Coach of the Year winner and may win the award again this season. He’s also engineered one of the greatest turnarounds in NFL history, taking the New England Patriots from a four-win team to AFC champions in his first year at the helm.
One of Vrabel’s best skills as a coach is that he’s a leader of men who commands respect from his players and gets them to play hard for him. As a former player, he’s able to tap into that experience and rally the troops with motivational speeches.
Many of his players think so, including linebacker Christian Elliss.
“He’s a great motivational speaker,” Elliss told NBC Sports Boston last week. “He makes it relatable. He makes it witty, but he gets his point across. Not every speech is a home run, but yeah, a lot of his are good.”
While Vrabel is spirited and passionate, he doesn’t overdo it. He knows which buttons to push and how to get his young players to buy in.
By the time game day rolls around, they’re fired up and ready to go.
“Honestly, I love how he handles game days because he’s just like, ‘Go be you. Go do what we’ve already talked about every single day this week,'” Elliss added.
Not surprisingly, Vrabel’s experience as a player has helped him communicate with his own players. He understands what they’re going through and what they need to hear to help them reach the next level.
“With him being a player, I feel like he always — he’s still got it in the back of his mind what makes players click and what gets us going in the right direction, believing in each other,” Milton Williams told NBC Sports Boston. “When we go out there, we’re going to lay it on the line for him.”
Whatever happens this Sunday in Santa Clara, the Patriots will be ready to lay it on the line one last time for Vrabel this season.
