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.

ESPN's Mike Reiss reported that the Patriots expected to bring in Frank Piraino and John Streicher to work for/with Vrabel. Piriano, 45, spent the 2024 season as the Ne

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.

Mike Vrabel made a triumphant return to New England as head coach of the Patriots on Monday. A former linebacker and Super Bowl champion under Bill Belichick, Vrabel said he felt the move back to Foxborough, Mass., was right "in his soul." Vrabel previously coached the Tennessee Titans and spent last season as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns.

The New England Patriots have found their next head coach. And it's a familiar face. The club has hired Mike Vrabel, who won three Super Bowl championships with the franchise as a player, to lead the organization as its head coach going forward according to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones and later made official by the Patriots.

The Bengals have hired Patriots offensive line coach Scott Peters and assistant offensive line coach Michael McCarthy to the same positions, the team announced Monday. Source: Patriots executive vice president Robyn Glaser plans to resign Peters and McCarthy leave after just one season in New England,