New Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel Shouts Out Boston College’s Bill O’Brien in Introductory Press Conference
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On Sunday, the New England Patriots announced that Mike Vrabel has been hired to serve as their next head coach.
Vrabel played for New England from 2001-08 and won three Super Bowls with the organization. He joined the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2023.
During his introductory press conference on Monday, the Akron, Ohio, native gave a shout out to Boston College football head coach Bill O’Brien and credited him for helping get him prepared to be a head coach in the NFL.
“I think I've had a great opportunity to play for, to coach with and coach for some unbelievable mentors, “ said Vrabel. “People that have helped shape me, from John Cooper, Bill Cowher, John Mitchell, Romeo Crennel, Bill Belichick, the multiple coaches that were here, to Luke Fickell to Urban Meyer to Bill O'Brien, who held up his end of the bargain. When he asked me to come to the Houston Texans with him, he said, ‘I'm gonna do everything I can to get you ready to be a head coach.’ He did that. He's a great friend and I'm gonna support Billy every way I can up the road in Chestnut Hill.”
Vrabel spent four seasons with the Texans as the linebackers coach (2014-16) and defensive coordinator (2017) before going to the Tennessee Titans to serve as the head coach from 2018-23. O’Brien was the head coach for Houston during that time.
During his time with Tennessee, he won the NFL Coach of the Year Award in 2021.
Vrabel’s time in Houston marked his first coaching stint in the NFL. Now, the 49-year-old is embarking on his second head coach job in the league.
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Kim Rankin is the lead writer for Boston College On SI. The 2020 graduate of the University of Alabama. She joined Alabama Crimson Tide On SI in February 2024 covering baseball, softball, football, men’s basketball, and more for BamaCentral, but has also contributed to Missouri Tigers On SI. She previously worked as the brand manager at Tide 100.9 FM in Tuscaloosa, Ala. She has covered a wide variety of events including SEC Championships, NCAA Regionals, and bowl games.
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