Mike Vrabel is back in the NFL head coaching ranks.
The New England Patriots hired the former Ohio State star as their new head coach on Sunday, bringing him back to the team with which he won three Super Bowls as a player.
Hes back!
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 12, 2025
Patriots Hall of Famer Mike Vrabel returns to New England as our 16th head coach. pic.twitter.com/a3r7IQNzvk
Vrabel becomes an NFL head coach for the second time, having previously coached the Tennessee Titans from 2018-23. He spent this past season as a consultant with the Cleveland Browns.
One of Ohio State’s all-time great defensive ends, Vrabel had been a popular choice among Buckeye fans to be Ohio State’s next head coach if OSU opted to move on from Ryan Day after four straight losses to Michigan. Day’s job security is no longer in question, however, as he’s led Ohio State to an appearance in next week’s national championship game with College Football Playoff wins over Tennessee, Oregon and Texas.
Even if Ohio State had made a change, it’s uncertain whether Vrabel would have been interested in returning to the college ranks. While Vrabel started his coaching career at Ohio State from 2011-13, he’s publicly expressed a preference for coaching in the NFL due to the recruiting demands of the college game and was always expected to be a coveted candidate for NFL head coaching jobs in the 2025 hiring cycle.
Now, Vrabel has the opportunity to continue coaching in the NFL with the team where he had his greatest successes as a player. Vrabel played for the Patriots from 2001-08 and helped lead the Patriots to three league championships while also earning first-team All-Pro honors in 2007.
