Within a week, New England has gone from no head coach to a new head coach — as they hired Patriots Hall of Famer and former linebacker Mike Vrabel to lead the team.
"Mike's history with the NFL, you know it's sort of his experience is what embodies what's great about the NFL," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. "He joined us in 2001 as an unheralded free agent and he had never started a game — he had been in the league four years. And he joined us and he became a starter those next four years and we were privileged to win three Super Bowls in that time.
Kraft also poined out that Vrabel — as coach of the Tennessee Titans — beat the Patriots in Tom Brady's last game with the team.
"In the interview process, Mike showed us that he had a very deep understanding of our current team, and most important, he had a clear and focused strategy of how to get us back to a championship way that is so important to all of us, but also something I think our fan base really deserves and expects," Kraft said.
"I'm humbled, I'm grateful," Vrabel said upon being introduced as the new head coach by Kraft. "A lot of people have helped me get to this point... It was clear to me and my family and in my soul that this was the place I wanted to be."
"You guys are gonna ask me questions about culture," he added. "One thing I've realized about culture is you can find out what your culture looks like when your family, your business or your team is at its low point, not when you're winning Super Bowls, not when you're 7-1 or 10-1, but when you get hit in the mouth and are down and the chips are against ya."
"Our culture is going to be built on winning, competitive spirit throughout our roster — players, coaches, staff — and the ability to put team first and care about somebody other than yourself. I'm excited to do that. I'm excited to get to work."
"We're gonna earn the right to be here every single day," Vrabel said. "We're gonna remove entitlement from our football team."
He also said the decision on who will be the offensive and defensive coordinators is "far from solidified," and said he expects the process of building the roster will be a collaborative one.
Asked how he will help to develop quarterback Drake Maye, Vrabel said it will mostly be about putting good people around him.
"Drake is going to be his own person, but I'm going to give him some things that I think are necessary to help us win football games."
Vrabel said his goals will be to win the AFC East, to host playoff games and to win championships. But he said it's too soon to say how long it might take to get there.
"Time to get to work," he said.
Vrabel has gone from free agency to the head man in Foxboro, but this past year, he's still been around the game while working as a consultant for Cleveland. Before that, he had a five-year stint in Tennessee, compiling a 54-45 record. He got that job because of his work with the Houston Texans and Ohio State Buckeyes.
Vrabel played linebacker for the Patriots from 2001 to 2008, winning three Super Bowls, in 2002, 2004 and 2005.
He was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2023.
Fans and former players are celebrating his return to the team.
"He will be the clear defining leader, and I don't think he takes this job unless that was expressed to him, that he will have control over this roster, over big decisions being made," former backup quarterback Matt Cassel said.