Mike Vrabel made a triumphant return to New England as head coach of the Patriots on Monday.
A former linebacker and Tremendous Bowl champion underneath Invoice Belichick, Vrabel mentioned he felt the transfer again to Foxborough was proper “in his soul.” Vrabel beforehand coached the Tennessee Titans and spent final season as a guide for the Cleveland Browns.
“I am humbled, I am grateful,” Vrabel mentioned Monday, recalling being inducted into the workforce’s Corridor of Fame in 2023. “Excited to get to work. Excited to fulfill the individuals on this constructing who’ve made this place particular.”
The Patriots final reached the playoffs on the finish of the 2021 season, shedding 47-17 to the Buffalo Payments within the wild-card spherical. Since that loss, New England is 16-35 and transferring to a 3rd head coach in three seasons.
Vrabel credited earlier coaches and mentors from Belichick to Invoice O’Brien, who made him a linebackers coach with the Houston Texans, for getting him again “to the place the place I needed to be.”
“Once I began my teaching profession, I believe it was necessary to go elsewhere to start out one other teaching journey,” Vrabel mentioned Monday. “I felt prefer it was necessary to forge my very own path elsewhere and if all these experiences led me again right here and the appropriate alternative, then that was the place to be.”
Vrabel, 49, takes over for former teammate Jerod Mayo, who was fired after one season as Belichick’s alternative as hand-selected by Robert Kraft. The Patriots’ proprietor mentioned Mayo was positioned in an untenable scenario and took fault for New England ending 4-13 for the second consecutive season.
Vrabel spent 4 seasons within the NFL with the Steelers earlier than signing with the Patriots in 2001 and successful three Tremendous Bowls in eight seasons. Kraft took a stroll down reminiscence lane Monday, reflecting on Vrabel’s development and what introduced them to the reunion.
“These private traits additionally made him a really high-performing coach,” Kraft mentioned of Vrabel’s six years operating the Titans. “In 2019, he beat us proper right here within the playoffs in Tommy’s (Tom Brady) final sport as a Patriot. In 2021, he completed as the very best document within the AFC at 12-5.
“Within the interview course of, Mike confirmed us that he had a really deep understanding of our present workforce. Most significantly, he had a transparent and centered technique of the right way to get us again to a championship manner that’s so necessary to all of us, but in addition one thing I believe our fan base deserves and expects.”
Vrabel mentioned he desires to deal with as many factors of contact — personnel, coaches and himself — as attainable to make all staff really feel the identical quantity of care that they spend money on the workforce.
“This connection piece,” Vrabel mentioned. “I will have a relationship with each single one among them. … That is what I need to construct.”
–Area Stage Media
