The New England Patriots have a new head coach, and it’s none other than a former Super Bowl champion with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
After the poor campaign in the last NFL season and the subsequent departure of Jerod Mayo from the HC position, the New England Patriots moved quickly to find his successor, and they finally succeeded. The team will be led by none other than a former Super Bowl champion with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, specifically with the Patriots.
Who finally agreed to join Foxboro to help turn the franchise’s fortunes around is none other than former Tennessee Titans head coach, Mike Vrabel. After several weeks of negotiations and meetings, the three-time Vince Lombardi Trophy winner with New England decided to return home.
The news was confirmed through the official New England Patriots X (formerly Twitter) account @Patriots: “He’s back! Patriots Hall of Famer Mike Vrabel returns to New England as our 16th head coach.”
Vrabel was in charge of the Tennessee Titans from 2018 to 2023, and during the current season, he served as a Coaching and Personnel Consultant with the Cleveland Browns. From now on, he will be in charge of the franchise where he won it all as a player, and he hopes to repeat that success as head coach.
Head coach Mike Vrabel of the Tennessee Titans watches the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots at Nissan Stadium on November 11, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee.
The last avenger of Brady
The story of Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots is not only tied to when they were on the same side, but also when they were worthy rivals. In fact, the coach was responsible for orchestrating Tom Brady‘s last playoff loss while wearing a Patriots uniform.
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It was 2019, and with their backs against the end zone, the Patriots were looking to escape unscathed in the final snaps of the game. However, somewhat uncomfortable, Tom Brady threw one last interception, which ended in the Titans’ final touchdown of the game and the subsequent elimination of New England from the playoffs.
Mike Vrabel was the Titans head coach when the Patriots were eliminated in 2019, marking the official end of the Tom Brady era. A new era now begins in New England with Mike Vrabel as the head coach.
Vrabel has fond memories of the crowd in New England
All the time and titles won created a strong connection between the New England Patriots fans and Mike Vrabel himself. In 2023, while being inducted into the franchise’s Hall of Fame, the now coach dedicated heartfelt words to the crowd.
“I’ve been a lot of places. This is a special place with great leadership, great fans, great direction, and great coaching. Enjoy it — it’s not like this everywhere,” Vrabel stated.
Mike Vrabel to Patriots fans when he was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame in 2023: “I’ve been a lot of places. This is a special place with great leadership, great fans, great direction, and great coaching. Enjoy it — it’s not like this everywhere.”
Vrabel’s numbers with the Patriots
Mike Vrabel has become the new head coach of the Patriots, returning to the franchise where he was crowned as a player. The former Titans head coach has won the Vince Lombardi Trophy three times, which remains his greatest achievement.
Over the course of his eight seasons, the former linebacker and defensive end recorded 606 tackles, 48 sacks, 11 interceptions, and 10 receptions, all of which ended in touchdowns for his team.
Additionally, he was named to the Patriots 2000s All-Decade Team and the Patriots 50th Anniversary Team.
