Bill Belichick gives initial impressions of Mike Vrabel as new Patriots head coach

Bill Belichick saw one of his own, Mike Vrabel, take over the New England Patriots as the new head coach and it seemed like he was very happy about the outcome.

Belichick pivoted to the college game and will enter his first year as the North Carolina head coach in 2025 and his former linebacker is headed home. Vrabel is most well known for his time being in the middle of Belichick’s Patriots’ defenses.

Following a tenure as the Tennessee Titans’ head coach and this season as a Browns’ analyst, Vrabel has a second shot and a big opportunity.

“Yeah, I think Mike has done a great job,” Belichick said on The Pat McAfee Show. “Certainly, his entry into coaching was no surprise to any of us that knew him … So I have a ton of respect for Mike. I think he does a great job. He prepares his teams well. They’re very good in situational football, they’re tough, they’re competitive, they’re smart, just like he was as a player. 

“I think teams that he’s coached and the position he’s coached follow very much in his playing style and his preparation style. So, you know I love Mike, I love everything that he stands for as a football coach, and you know I have a lot of respect for I’m sure he’ll do a great job.”

Vrabel, 49, always seemed like the favorite to succeed Jerod Mayo, fired just hours removed from the Week 18 victory over the Buffalo Bills. Like Mayo, Vrabel is another former Patriots Pro Bowl linebacker.

Vrabel played eight seasons with the Patriots (2001-08), a key contributor on three Super Bowl winning teams. He is a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame, as well as the team’s All-2000s, 50th Anniversary and All-Dynasty teams.

Vrabel served as a coaching and personnel consultant for the Cleveland Browns this season under head coach Kevin Stefanski. He spent the previous six seasons as head coach of the Tennessee Titans, where he had success.

Vrabel went 54-45 in Tennessee, winning two AFC South titles and making three consecutive playoff appearances from 2019-21. He went 2-2 in the postseason, leading the Titans to the AFC Championship Game in 2019. Vrabel was named NFL Coach of the Year in 2021. The Titans fired Vrabel following a 6-11 campaign in 2023.

Now, he returns to the sideline in a New England homecoming. He’s tasked with turning around the Patriots, who finished 4-13 and have failed to reach the postseason in three consecutive seasons. Vrabel never quite found a franchise quarterback in Tennessee, but the good news is that is already in place in New England. The Patriots selected Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick in last year’s Draft, and he performed well under tough circumstances as a rookie.

The new regime in place has $130 million in cap space to work with in rebuilding the roster this offseason.

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