When Mike Vrabel began his post-NFL playing career as an assistant coach at Ohio State in 2011, he had thoughts of one day returning to the New England Patriots.

The Bears interviewed former Titans coach Mike Vrabel for their head coaching job on Wednesday.

After firing Jerod Mayo a week ago, the Patriots are hiring Mike Vrabel as the 16th head coach in franchise history.

More to the point, Vrabel never coached under Belichick. He hasn’t worked in Foxboro in 15 years. In that time, he developed his own network and identity, moving from Ohio State to the Texans, Titans and Browns. Vrabel collected invaluable experience that would have served Mayo, also his own man, had Mayo ever flown the New England nest.

Former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel is heading back to New England to be the next coach of the Patriots, where he'll play vs the Titans in 2025.

Former New England Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel has been hired as the team's new head coach, the team said Sunday morning. In a post on X, the New England Patriots said Vrabel is returning as their 16th head coach in franchise history.

Tannehill suffered multiple injuries that season and was ultimately benched for rookie Malik Willis, who struggled badly. Vrabel’s defense was still strong against the run, but were a league worst against the pass and it all led to a 7-10 finish in 2022. The Titans missed the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.

The Bears have requested permission to interview Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Interim Bears coach Thomas Brown also is in the mix, and general manager Ryan Poles said he is open to the idea of trading draft picks for the right candidate.

As a former player, coach Mike Vrabel always had connections to the New England Patriots organization, and that was probably enough to get him a coaching job with the team earlier. However, he felt a need to leave New England and build his own path to an eventual

Stay away from the outdated and inapplicable Belichick coaching tree hires. And, hire top innovative coaches who can utilize the personnel strengths you have.

The New England Patriots made the first move in the 2025 NFL coaching carousel this weekend when they officially named Mike Vrabel as the franchise's 16th head coach. Vrabel was among the hottest commodities on the market— and also interviewed with the New York Jets and Chicago Bears before landing in New England.