Bill Belichick Offers Candid Reaction To Patriots Hiring Mike Vrabel

Mike Vrabel is the second former New England Patriots player to take his former coach’s old job.

But Bill Belichick certainly — and understandably — reacted more favorably to Vrabel becoming the newest head coach of the Patriots than Jerod Mayo.

Vrabel, 49, played eight seasons under Belichick as a key defensive pillar to the first part of New England’s two-decade-long dynasty. And after Vrabel got outside of New England to begin his coaching career, including a six-year stint as head coach of the Tennessee Titans, Belichick believes the ex-linebacker is well-equipped to lead the Patriots in his return.

“Certainly his entry in coaching was no surprise to any of us that knew him and coached him at New England. I talked to him when he was at Ohio State, and then when he went to the Texans, and then, of course, at Tennessee,” Belichick said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday. “We practiced against them, stayed in pretty close contact with Mike. So, I have a ton of respect for Mike. I think he does a great job.

“He prepares his teams well, they’re very good in situational football, they’re tough, they’re competitive, they’re smart — just like he was as a player. I think teams that he’s coached and the positions he’s coached follow very much in his playing style and his preparation style.”

Vrabel called his relationship with Belichick “special” when he met with the media Monday for his introductory press conference. But Vrabel said he isn’t going to try to imitate Belichick’s style, which helped the Patriots capture six Super Bowl titles.

But it’s clear there’s a great deal of respect between Vrabel and Belichick. So much so, that Belichick is rooting for Vrabel to excel at his old stomping grounds.

“I love Mike. I love everything that he stands for as a football coach and I have a lot of respect for him,” Belichick said. “I’m sure he’ll do a great job.”