Patriots' Mike Vrabel Named PFWA Coach of the Year

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — As the New England Patriots ramp up their preparations for a showdown with the Denver Broncos in thie weekend’s AFC championship game, the architect of their success is being honored for his prowess at the helm of the NFL’s most improved team.

Pats head coach Mike Vrabel, has been named as the 2025 NFL coach of the year by the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA), per the organization’s formal announcement on Jan. 22.

Vrabel led the Patriots to a 14-3 regular-season record, including a 10-game win streak from Weeks 4-13 in his first season coaching the franchise. As such, he guided the Pats to their first AFC East division title since 2019, and is about to lead his team to its 16th AFC Championship Game appearance. It will be their first since appearance in the game since their run to their sixth Super Bowl title under Bill Belichick in the 2018 season.

Jan 18, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel looks on in the first half in an AFC Divisional Round game against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

To say that New England has thrived under Vrabel’s leadership may be an understatement. After consecutive 4-13 finishes in 2023 and 2024, the 50-year-old has instilled both an aggressive style of football on the field, as well as a culture of accountability throughout the team. Accordingly, the Patriots have become one of the most exciting and fundamentally-sound football teams in the league.

Meticulous in his planning, yet familiar in his style of team management, Vrabel appears to have struck the proper note to ensure cohesion between the players, coaches and the front office. Still, he credits the bulk of his success to remaining focused on the next task.

“I'm always excited for our organization, excited for the players,” Vrabel recently told reporters at Gillette Stadium. “I am appreciative of their work and their efforts. Everybody's stepping up. We're using everybody. Everybody's making plays. Everybody's helping us win.”

Mike Vrabel has been the Architect of the Patriots Renaissance

Accordingly, Vrabel and the Patriots will soon turn their attention to the Broncos. Though his ultimate task has yet to be completed, Vrabel remains cognizant that his most pressing goal for the upcoming week is to keep his team squarely focused on the Broncos — even amid the hype of the highest-profile game most of his players will have experienced in the NFL. Fortunately for the Patriots, their new head coach embodies a philosophy that should be quite familiar to the Foxborough faithful — that of taking one game at a time.

This is the second PFWA Coach of the Year honor for Vrabel, having won the award in 2021 with the Tennessee Titans. His is the eighth Coach of the Year award for the Patriots’ franchise, as Vrabel joins Chuck Fairbanks(1976 AFC), Raymond Berry (1985 AFC), Ron Meyer (1987 AFC), Bill Parcells (1984) and Bill Belichick (2003, 2007,2010) as New England’s honorees.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and so much more!