New England Patriots name Mike Vrabel as new head coach

FOXBORO, Mass. (WLNE) — The New England Patriots have announced their new head coach.

Mike Vrabel is back in New England as the Patriots head coach.

The Pats announced the news in a social media post on Sunday.

He was said to be the top pick after Jerod Mayo was fired after one season of coaching.

Vrabel interviewed with the team on Thursday, and after the Pats checked in with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, negotiations with Vrabel began.

The Patriots hall of famer expressed his plans for the team:

Every day, that’s what I’m trying to recreate wherever I coach, what I’m trying to recreate what we had in that locker room. I don’t know if we’ll get it but we’re going to try

Vrabel is coming back home as a three-time Super Bowl champion as a linebacker for the Pats.

This is his second job as a head coach in the NFL after previously coaching the Tennessee Titans.

There, he won coach of the year in 2021, leading a winning record in Tennessee.

Vrabel signed with the Pats as a free agent from the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2001.

He won three Super Bowl rings, and was then traded to the Kansas City Chiefs along with quarterback Matt Cassel after the 2008 season.

After retirement from the NFL, he returned to his alma mater Ohio State, and then joined Bill O’Brien’s staff on the Houston Texans.

From there, he was hired as the Titans head coach.

He was fired from Tennessee after 2023 and spent last year as a consultant with the Cleveland Browns.

A press conference will be held at noon Monday in Foxboro where Vrabel will be introduced as the New England Patriots head coach.