Mike Vrabel to Washington? Why 'Sure Thing' Would Be Commanders Best Coach Hire

Rarely does the opportunity come where you could hire a "sure thing'' at head coach.

Franchises often rely on some of the better coordinators or position coaches who don't have head coaching experiences and hope they pan out. Good head coaches are hard to find, and the franchises who do find one are typically reluctant to let them go unless there's a clear upgrade waiting in the wings or they're getting something in return.

However, with Mike Vrabel on the market, Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris will have a chance to set the tone immediately with his first hire as head coach.

Vrabel is everything you could want in a head coach candidate. Across six seasons as the Tennessee Titans head coach, he went 54-45, finished over .500 in his first four and made three playoff appearances, including reaching the AFC Championship game once in 2019. While his last two seasons in Tennessee didn't go as well as they went 13-21 in that span, Vrabel's team competed for the AFC South title in 2022 and had upset wins this season over the Miami Dolphins and the Jacksonville Jaguars, which knocked them out of the playoffs.

Vrabel being fired by Tennessee wasn't as much for performance as it was owner Amy Adams Strunk wanting to find someone who aligned better with general manager Ron Carthon's vision. Vrabel largely kept a rebuilding roster competitive in most of their games.

While every team with a head coach vacancy should at least inquire about Vrabel, interest is a two-way street, and he'll likely have his choice on where he'll coach next. Harris and whoever he hires as head of football operations would have to sell Vrabel on their vision despite not being in that different a situation compared to the Titans.

Washington is more focused on the future than the present, and it has the draft picks and cap space to quickly turn things around and mold the team to the head coach's identity. That should make the job attractive to anyone, including Vrabel.

One potential wild card in Washington and any team's pursuit of Vrabel would be the situation in Foxborough. Should the New England Patriots move on from head coach Bill Belichick, one figures there will be mutual interest between them and Vrabel, as he played for the franchise from 2001-2008, won three Super Bowls, and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in October of last year.

If New England has a head coach vacancy, that'll be tough for any franchise to compete with for Vrabel's services. Until then, though, Vrabel should be atop every team's head coaching search, including Washington's.

Top 3 Commanders Head of Football Operations Candidates So Far

Washington has already requested interviews with numerous candidates, including Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. While Macdonald and Johnson will rightfully be two of the most sought-after head coaching candidates this cycle, they aren't proven like Vrabel is.

Regardless of who Harris hires to lead the Commanders' football operations, Vrabel should be a candidate they interview to become their head coach. Being in lockstep with a proven coach like Vrabel and making him their first hire leading the organization would make life easier for them and everyone with a hand in the Commanders' operations.

Rarely do good coaches like Mike Vrabel become available without any strings attached. If Harris wants to start his tenure on the right foot, getting Vrabel in burgundy and gold would be a tremendous first step.