One Jets head coaching candidate is now off the board. The New England Patriots are hiring Mike Vrabel as their next head coach.
Homecoming: Mike Vrabel and the Patriots reached a multi-year agreement to make him New England’s next head coach, per sources.
Vrabel now is the seventh individual to become the head coach for a franchise he once helped win a Super Bowl as a player, joining Jerod Mayo, Bart… pic.twitter.com/LR3cpdHNQf
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 12, 2025
Vrabel had interviewed for the Jets’ open head coaching job before the end of the regular season.
Previous reports indicated that Vrabel was the Jets’ top choice and that he was open to the job. Things undoubtedly changed a week ago when New England fired head coach Jerrod Mayo. Vrabel has longstanding ties to the Patriots organization from his playing days. From that point, it seemed destined for Vrabel to return to Foxborough.
Vrabel was the head coach in Tennessee from 2018 through 2023. During that six year stretch the Titans posted a 54-45 record with four winning seasons, three Playoff berths, and a trip to the AFC Championship Game. In this cycle, Vrabel was pretty much the only candidate with a track record of success as an NFL head coach.
The Jets will now turn their attention elsewhere.