Video: Bill Belichick Says Mike Vrabel 'Will Do a Great Job' as Patriots HC

Bill Belichick expects Mike Vrabel to succeed with the New England Patriots.

The legendary former Pats' coach and current head honcho for North Carolina appeared on The Pat McAfee Show Monday and spoke about Vrabel's appointment as the head coach in Foxboro:

"I think Mike's done a great job, certainly his entry into coaching was no surprise to any of us that knew him and coached him in New England. I talked to him when he was at Ohio State and then when he went to the Houston Texans and then of course at Tennessee when we practiced against him. I stayed in pretty close contact with Mike, so I have a ton of respect for Mike. I think he does a great job. He prepares his team well. They're very good in situational football. They're tough, they're competitive, they're smart, just like he was as a player. I think the teams that he's coached and the positions he's coached followed very much in his playing style and his preparation style. So, I love Mike, I love everything that he stands for as a football coach and I have a lot of respect for him. I'm sure he'll do a great job."

As a player, Vrabel won three Super Bowls with the Patriots under Belichick between the 2001-08 seasons. He was both a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro selection in 2007 and was elected to the team's Hall of Fame after his playing career.

The 49-year-old began his coaching career with the Ohio State Buckeyes, first as a linebackers coach in 2011 and later as the defensive line coach (2012-13). He then went on to serve as the linebackers coach (2014-16) and defensive coordinator (2017) for the Houston Texans.

As the head coach in Tennessee between 2018-23 he went 54-45, leading the Titans to three playoff appearances. He then spent 2024 as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns.

Vrabel was considered one of the top coaching candidates available this winter, but once the Patriots made the decision to fire Jerod Mayo after just one season, it was easy enough to connect the dots regarding a potential reunion.

He'll have a pretty big rebuild on his hands, as the Patriots have a major talent deficiency across the roster. But he has a promising young quarterback in Drake Maye and the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft to work with, which are positive building blocks for the future.

"There's a shared organizational vision for what we want to do and how we want to work and how we want to acquire players," Vrabel told reporters on Monday at his introductory press conference. "I'm just excited to sit down with [vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf] and his staff."

As for the traits he wants in his players: "Put the team first, know what to do, and be fast and aggressive."