Belichick has glowing praise for Vrabel as Patriots’ new head coach originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots are hoping new head coach Mike Vrabel will help the franchise get back to being one of the elite teams in the AFC.
It will be an enormous challenge given the Patriots’ struggles on and off the field in recent years, but Vrabel’s no-nonsense approach should be just what the team needs at this moment.
One person who’s confident in Vrabel’s abilities is the greatest head coach in Patriots history.
Bill Belichick, who won a record six Super Bowl titles as Patriots head coach from 2000 through 2023, gave his initial reaction to the Vrabel hiring Monday during his weekly appearance on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show.
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Belichick had tremendous praise for his former player and the coach he’s become.
“I think Mike’s done a great job, certainly his entry into coaching was no surprise to any of us who knew him,” Belichick told McAfee. “I talked to him when he was at Ohio State and then when he went to the Texans and then at Tennessee. We practiced against the Titans.
“I’ve stayed in pretty close contact with Mike. 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, competitive and smart — just like he was as a player. The team’s he’s coached and the positions he’s coached follow very much in his playing style and preparation style. I love Mike, I love everything that he stands for as a football coach. I’m sure he’ll do a great job (in New England).”
Belichick coached Vrabel in New England from 2001 through 2008, and they won three Super Bowl titles together. The former linebacker played a key role on Belichick’s defenses, and he even caught 10 touchdowns from Tom Brady in a tight end role on offense. As a head coach, Vrabel also led the Titans to a 20-13 upset of Belichick’s Patriots in the 2019 AFC Wild Card Round.
Vrabel was asked Monday during his introductory press conference at Gillette Stadium about following in Belichick’s footsteps.
“I think it is unique, obviously,” Vrabel said. “Let’s just be real for a minute and just say having played for him and competing against him and then also having a friendship with Bill along the way, I think it’s special, it’s unique having played here, knowing Bill.
“Again, we’re going to have to focus on things that are going to help us win now, help our players, and like I said, galvanize the building and the team and our fan base. So I think there’s also things I’m going to try to explain to the players, there’s things that are interesting and there’s things that are important. I think me having played for Bill is interesting, I just don’t know if it’s important to helping our players.”
Vrabel’s institutional knowledge of the Patriots should help him hit the ground running as the franchise embarks on a pivotal offseason that could shape the direction of the franchise for many years.