Mike Vrabel is set to take over as Patriots head coach for the recently fired Jerod Mayo.
Update 1/12/2025: Patriots hire Mike Vrabel as head coach
The New England Patriots have made it official: Mike Vrabel has returned to Foxboro and will serve as the team’s new head coach.
He’s back!
Patriots Hall of Famer Mike Vrabel returns to New England as our 16th head coach. pic.twitter.com/a3r7IQNzvk
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 12, 2025
Original story 1/12/2025: Patriots hire Mike Vrabel as head coach, per report
The New England Patriots have filled their biggest offseason hole. Mike Vrabel, a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame and former head coach of the Tennessee Titans, is set to become the 16th head coach in franchise history.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report the news.
Vrabel, 49, started his career in the NFL in 1997. A third-round draft pick by Pittsburgh Steelers, he went on to play 14 seasons in the league as a linebacker and part-time tight end. Of those, eight were spent in New England: Vrabel joined the Patriots as a free agent in 2001, becoming a cornerstone of their defense and three-time Super Bowl champion.
After finishing his active career as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, Vrabel made the move to coaching in 2011. He started out at his alma mater, Ohio State, before returning to the NFL with the Houston Texans.
In 2018, he was hired as head coach of the Tennessee Titans. Vrabel led the Titans to two AFC South titles and three playoff berths in his six years at the helm, but was fired after the 2023 season. He spent 2024 as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns.
Now, Vrabel is returning back to New England to take over for Jerod Mayo.
Mayo, the Patriots’ hand-picked successor to long-time head coach Bill Belichick, was fired after only one year at the job. The team went just 4-13 in his lone season, prompting team ownership to make a change within hours of the season finale.
Vrabel was one of five candidates linked to the Patriots’ open head coaching job. The team also interviewed Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as well as coaching free agents Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich. Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn declined an interview request.
Vrabel is expected to be introduced in the coming days.