Mike Vrabel’s impressive first season at the helm of the New England Patriots has largely been overshadowed by the scandal involving former NFL insider Dianna Russini. However, it’s worth remembering that Vrabel, the reigning NFL Coach of the Year, turned around the Patriots and led them to a Super Bowl LX appearance.
Former NFL QB Praises Mike Vrabel’s Culture Building
During Wednesday’s segment of “The Herd With Colin Cowherd” show, former Super Bowl champion Brian Hoyer revealed the secret to Vrabel’s renowned culture-building.
“Vrabel is an alpha dog. Let’s just put it that way,” Hoyer said. “Anybody who’s in New England now, I missed him by a year as a player, but I caught back up with him on the coaching side in Houston, and no one is gonna be more of an alpha than Vrabel. And the players, they just respect him the moment he steps in front of them. He’s got that vibe.
“But also, the former player in him. He’s sat in their seats so he can relate to them. The one thing that I kept seeing last year was, the guys buying in, and then they had success, and they buy in more. And all of a sudden, the next thing you look up and they’re in the Super Bowl. There’s good vibes coming out of New England.”
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Before embarking on his coaching career, Vrabel starred for the Ohio State Buckeyes and had a 14-year NFL career, playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, and the Kansas City Chiefs. The former linebacker won three Super Bowl titles as a Patriots player.
“No one is going to be more of an alpha than Vrabel. The players respect him the moment he steps in front of them… There’s good vibes coming out of New England.”@colincowherd & @bhoyer7 on how Mike Vrabel changed the Patriots culture so quickly pic.twitter.com/1ThYW7So2U
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) August 19, 2026
Vrabel became the head coach of the Tennessee Titans in 2018, and he led the team to the AFC Championship Game in his second season at the helm.
In 2021, the Titans were crowned AFC South champions, and Vrabel was named the NFL Coach of the Year for the first time. In six seasons in Tennessee, Vrabel compiled a 54-45 regular-season and 2-3 postseason record.
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Vrabel succeeded Jerod Mayo as Patriots coach after a woeful 4-13 season and turned the franchise around. He led the team to its first AFC East title in six years, its best record since 2016, and the Patriots’ first playoff berth since 2021. He also led the Patriots to their first playoff win after beating the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card round.
Last season, Vrabel became just the second individual to reach the Super Bowl as a player and a coach and only the eighth head coach to reach the showcase game in their first season with a team.
