Patriots Announce Hiring Of Mike Vrabel As Team’s New Head Coach

UPDATE 10:45 a.m. ET: The New England Patriots on Sunday announced the hiring of Mike Vrabel as the organization’s head coach.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the news about 30 minutes prior to the official announcement.

Original story: The Patriots didn’t waste any time replacing Jerod Mayo.

Mike Vrabel has agreed to a multi-year deal to become New England’s next head coach, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The reported pact marks a return to Foxboro, Mass., for Vrabel, a former linebacker who helped the Patriots win their first three Super Bowls in franchise history.

Vrabel was rumored to be the frontrunner for the job immediately after Mayo was let go after New England’s costly season-ending win. The 49-year-old was one of four candidates interviewed by the Patriots, who held in-person meetings with Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton and spoke virtually with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

The upcoming season will mark an official return to an NFL sideline for Vrabel, who came up empty-handed in last year’s hiring cycle after he was fired by the Tennessee Titans. The Ohio native spent the 2024 campaign as a coaching and personnel consultant for the Cleveland Browns, but his contract expired at season’s end.

Robert Kraft and company will turn to Vrabel to spark a turnaround in New England, where a 4-13 record was posted in each of the last two seasons. The Patriots, who own the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 draft, also haven’t won a playoff game since the 2018 season.

Vrabel, the 2021 Coach of the Year, has his work cut out for him. But New England brass clearly believes he’s up for the challenge.