3 Burning Questions Following Mike Vrabel’s Hiring as Patriots HC

To no one’s surprise, the Patriots have officially hired Mike Vrabel as the 16th head coach in franchise history and third in as many seasons.

Reports indicating Vrabel was the heavy favorite began almost immediately after predecessor Jerod Mayo was fired, and it’s easy to see why.

As a player, Vrabel won three Super Bowls and earned an All-Pro nod with New England. He is also a member of the Patriots’ All-2000s, 50th Anniversary, and All-Dynasty teams.

As a coach, he’s won the AP NFL Coach of the Year award, ended Tom Brady’s Patriots career in the 2019 Wild Card Round, and led the Titans to three playoff appearances in six seasons.

Though other worthy candidates were on the market, few better fit New England than Vrabel. Last season, the Patriots were unprepared, undisciplined, and unserious due largely to insufficient leadership. Vrabel should add instant credibility while blending the core tenets of “The Patriot Way” with his own outside experience.

That said, lingering questions remain surrounding the Patriots’ search.

DID THE PATRIOTS RUSH THEIR SEARCH PROCESS?

Before Vrabel’s hiring, the Patriots hadn’t held a true head coaching search in two decades. By meeting with three or four serious candidates, the team could’ve consulted the league’s best coaches, learned how top teams operated, and identified where New England needs to catch up organizationally.

The team took a much faster approach.

Mayo was fired an hour after his win in the season finale, setting the tone for what can be described as a hasty process at best. His family was still in the stadium, and he wasn’t given a chance to address players and staff about his departure. Both felt like severe missteps for an organization that prides itself on class.

New England then began its search by interviewing former offensive coordinators Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton. This seemed like a cold, efficient way to skirt the Rooney Rule, as both coaches had been out of the league for two years and lacked NFL head coaching experience.

The Patriots then met with top candidates Vrabel and Ben Johnson, but appeared to try and save face by requesting an interview with Aaron Glenn. The Lions’ defensive coordinator saw through this ruse and declined, and Vrabel was hired after just one virtual interview with Johnson.

There’s no doubt Vrabel was one of the best head coaches available and arguably the best choice for the Patriots. Still, disrespecting the process won’t sit well with many coaches and outsiders, and it could damage the team’s reputation if another search is needed down the line.

HAS VRABEL EVOLVED?

Vrabel is a proven culture-builder, tactician, and talent developer. No one is questioning his acumen in those key areas, but no candidate is without their warts.

The biggest critiques of Vrabel in Tennessee were his ability to assemble a staff, work with the front office, and embrace more forward-thinking ideas. He will be challenged in each of these areas with the Patriots.

As Titans head coach, Vrabel inherited offensive coordinators and future head coaches Mike LaFleur and Arthur Smith. When Smith left, Todd Downing was promoted in a disastrous move. Vrabel’s only other hire was longtime colleague and current Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, who has been inconsistent in his career.

In terms of front office dynamics, Vrabel will reportedly recruit Giants personnel advisor Ryan Cowden to join the Patriots’ staff. Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf is expected to retain personnel power, but Cowden was the Titans’ vice president of player personnel from 2018 to 2022 and the team’s interim general manager in 2022.

Cowden should make it easier for Vrabel to bring in players that fit his system, but how the two work alongside Wolf will be a storyline to monitor.

It will also be interesting to see if Cowden can help bring a more modern approach to scouting and analytics. Wolf has already begun changing how things operate in New England’s front office, but their staff is much smaller than and technologically behind most groups around the league.

Vrabel’s time as a consultant for the Browns in 2024 exposed him to a more analytically-minded organization, one run by a formidable head coach-general manager duo in Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry. One season may not have been enough for Vrabel to fully change his approach, but ideally, it will provide a step in the right direction.

WHAT NEXT?

Vrabel and the Patriots must now focus on building a coaching staff capable of developing young talent, particularly Drake Maye, maximizing veterans, and instilling competitive toughness roster-wide.

Many have tabbed old friend and six-time Super Bowl champion Josh McDaniels to return as offensive coordinator. Some have scoffed at the idea of “running it back,” but few NFL coaches have a more robust resume.

Not only does McDaniels have a wealth of playoff experience, but he’s proven he can adapt to different quarterback skill sets and experience levels to get the best out of his players. He’s also a proven play designer and sequencer, and Patriots.com indicated he spent 2024 visiting different college programs to modernize his scheme.

Add in the fact that McDaniels might never leave New England after botching three head coaching opportunities, and it’s hard to argue for a more compelling candidate.

Browns passing game coordinator and tight ends coach Tommy Rees is another name that’s been connected to Vrabel. The former Notre Dame and Alabama coach is highly respected in coaching circles. Nick Saban praised him for his mental toughness, experience playing and coaching quarterbacks, and philosophical approach.

Other potential offensive additions include former Dolphins receivers coach and Patriot Wes Welker–who played with Vrabel in New England and worked with him in Houston–and senior co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach for Ohio State Brian Hartline–who coached at the school with Vrabel, a fellow alumni.

Bowen is currently the only name that’s been tied to the Patriots’ defensive coordinator job, but NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo recently threw some water on that fire.

When it comes to potential retentions, potential names to watch based on their success last season include Alex Van Pelt (likely in a different role), TC McCartney, tight ends coach Bob Bicknell, and offensive line coach Scott Peters and his assistants. Cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino and safeties coach Brian Belichick are expected to take jobs at UNC, but if not, both should remain on staff.

Special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer and assistant Tomm Quinn could also stay in Foxboro, as Quinn was on Vrabel’s Titans staff in 2023.

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