Vrabel Becomes First Patriots HOFer Named Head Coach

Mike Vrabel is the 16th head coach in Patriots history, but the first to have a red hall of fame jacket hanging in his closet.

Vrabel was named to replace his former teammate, Jerod Mayo, as the team’s new head coach. The two played together during Mayo’s rookie year in 2008 – Vrabel’s final season with the Patriots. Vrabel was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2023.

He helped the Patriots to three Super Bowl championships during his tenure after signing with the club as a free agent in 2001. Bill Belichick once said after a season that Vrabel didn’t make a single mental error all year. He was a smart player. He also was the 2021 NFL coach of the year after leading the Titans to a 12-5 record.

In six seasons with the Titans, Vrabel led Tennessee to a 54-45 record and three playoff berths. His 2019 team finished 9-7 and reached the AFC Championship Game before falling short of the Super Bowl in a 35-24 loss in Kansas City. That team also ended Tom Brady’s Patriots career with a 19-13 Wild Card playoff win over New England at Gillette Stadium.

Vrabel’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction came during his last season with the Titans, who surprisingly fired Vrabel after a 6-11 campaign in 2023 despite a winning overall record and those three playoff seasons.

Vrabel’s popularity in New England stems from his years as a player. A situational pass rusher in Pittsburgh during his first four years in the league, he signed with New England in 2001 and emerged as a full-time star. His hit on Rams quarterback Kurt Warner in Super Bowl XXXVI led to an errant throw that Ty Law intercepted and returned for a touchdown.

Vrabel had 11 interceptions while playing mostly outside linebacker in New England from 2001-2008. He also forced 13 fumbles and recovered five while accumulating 48 sacks, including 12.5 in 2007. Vrabel’s strip sack in the Super Bowl XXXVIII win over the Panthers helped stake the Patriots to a lead in what became a back-and-forth game won by New England in the final seconds. He finished his Patriots career with nine playoff sacks and three forced fumbles.

Vrabel is certainly one of the best free agent signings in Patriots history and his versality made him one of those players Bill Belichick utilized in different roles. Not only did he play both inside and outside linebacker, he also lined up on offense in short yardage situations. He caught 10 passes as a Patriot for 10 touchdowns, including touchdown receptions in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX.

He was named first team All Pro in 2007 when he helped lead the team to 18 consecutive wins during that season that ended one game short of perfection. He also played a significant role in the team’s NFL-record 21-game winning streak spanning the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

Vrabel was named to the Patriots All-Decade Team for the 2000s while being selected to the Patriots 50th Anniversary Team and the All-Dynasty Team.

He is tasked with resurrecting a Patriots team that won only eight games over the last two seasons. He is the seventh coach in NFL history to be named the head coach of a team with which he won a Super Bowl as a player, joining Mayo, Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg, Art Shell, Jeff Saturday and Jason Garrett.

Of the 15 previous Patriots head coaches, seven ended their tenure with records of .500 or better. Belichick is the team’s all-time winningest coach with 266 wins over 24 seasons.

Patriots head coaches Seasons Years Record Win % Postseason
Lou Saban 1.5 1960-1961 7-12 0.368 0-0
Mike Holovak 7.5 1961-1968 52-46-9 0.528 1-1
Clive Rush 1.5 1969-1970 5-16 0.238 0-0
John Mazur 2 1970-1972 9-21 0.300 0-0
Phil Bengston 0.5 1972 1-4 0.200 0-0
Chuck Fairbanks 6 1973-1978 46-39 0.541 0-2
Hank Bullough/Ron Erhardt 1978 0-1 0.0 0-0
Ron Erhardt 3 1979-1981 21-27 0.438 0-0
Ron Meyer 2.5 1982-1984 18-15 0.545 0-1
Raymond Berry 5.5 1984-1989 48-39 0.552 3-2
Rod Rust 1 1990 1-15 0.063 0-0
Dick MacPherson 2 1991-1992 8-24 0.250 0-0
Bill Parcells 4 1993-1996 32-32 0.500 2-2
Pete Carroll 3 1997-1999 27-21 0.563 1-2
Bill Belichick 24 2000-2023 266-121-0 0.687 30-12
Jerod Mayo 1 2024 4-13 0.235 0-0
Mike Vrabel
Notes
Lou Saban coached 5 games in 1961
Clive Rush coached 7 games in 1970
John Mazur coached 9 games in 1972
Hank Bullough and Ron Erhardt co-coached one game in 1978
Ron Meyer coached 4 games in 1984