New England Patriots reach agreement to appoint | NFL News

Mike Vrabel is poised to take over because the New England Patriots’ new head coach. The Patriots made the choice to half methods with Jerod Mayo following a lacklustre season that noticed the group end with a 4-13 report.

Mayo, who had been handpicked by proprietor Robert Kraft to succeed Bill Belichick, was unable to ship the anticipated leads to his first 12 months main the group. Now, the Patriots are turning to one other former linebacker, Vrabel, to information the franchise ahead.

Bill Belichick’s response to the Patriots’ dismissal of Jerod Mayo has revealed a lot about his character, whereas Jim Harbaugh skilled a meltdown after an incident involving a Chargers kicker inadvertently made NFL Playoff historical past.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the information, tweeting: “Homecoming: Mike Vrabel and the Patriots reached a multi-year agreement to make him New England’s next head coach, per sources.

“Vrabel now’s the seventh particular person to develop into the pinnacle coach for a franchise he as soon as helped win a Super Bowl as a participant, becoming a member of Jerod Mayo, Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg, Art Shell, Jeff Saturday and Jason Garrett.”

The Patriots themselves announced on social media: “He’s back! Patriots Hall of Famer Mike Vrabel returns to New England as our sixteenth head coach.”

Vrabel was a sizzling commodity on this 12 months’s teaching hiring cycle, alongside Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson. Before his agreement with the Patriots was confirmed, he had additionally interviewed with the New York Jets and the Chicago Bears.

Vrabel, during his tenure as a participant with the Patriots, was half of three Super Bowl-winning groups in 2001, 2003 and 2004. After hanging up his boots in 2010, he transitioned to teaching, beginning with Ohio State’s linebackers earlier than transferring on to coach their defensive position.

The NFL beckoned Vrabel back in 2014, when he joined the Houston Texans as their linebackers coach. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2017, positioning him to develop into the Tennessee Titans’ head coach the next 12 months, the place he spent six seasons.

During his time there, he was named the NFL’s Coach of the Year in 2021. However, simply two years later, Vrabel was let go on the finish of the 2023 season. He spent the latest season as a marketing consultant with the Cleveland Browns.