1. Michael George Vrabel is an American professional football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League.
28 Facts About Mike Vrabel
1. 2.
Mike Vrabel played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, earning consensus All-American honors.
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Mike Vrabel then played in the NFL for 14 seasons, primarily as a member of the Patriots, where he became a three-time Super Bowl champion and a First-team All-Pro during his eight-year tenure.
4.
Mike Vrabel was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1997 NFL draft, serving a four-year stint as a reserve player before joining the Patriots as a free agent in 2001, where he gained a larger role as an eventual starter and was key member of their 2000s defenses.
5.
Mike Vrabel then finished his career with the Kansas City Chiefs after being traded there in 2009.
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Mike Vrabel's NFL coaching career began in 2014 with the Houston Texans as linebackers coach and then defensive coordinator, before serving as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018 to 2023.
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Mike Vrabel was fired by the Titans following the 2023 season and served as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns in 2024 before being hired as Patriots head coach in 2025.
8.
Mike Vrabel was born on August 14,1975, in Akron, Ohio.
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Mike Vrabel is a 1993 graduate of Walsh Jesuit High School in nearby Cuyahoga Falls, where he was a standout on their football team coached by Gerry Rardin.
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Mike Vrabel accepted an athletic scholarship to attend Ohio State University and played defensive end from 1993 to 1996.
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Mike Vrabel compiled twelve sacks as a sophomore, thirteen as a junior, and forty-eight tackles and nine sacks as a senior.
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Mike Vrabel finished his career at Ohio State by being named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year in both 1995 and 1996, becoming the first of two players to ever win the award twice.
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Mike Vrabel accumulated 36 sacks and 66 tackles for a loss.
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Mike Vrabel was named to the Ohio State Football All-Century Team in 2000, and in 2012 was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame.
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Mike Vrabel was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1997 NFL draft.
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Mike Vrabel spent the first four seasons of his career in Pittsburgh.
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Mike Vrabel had 12 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 1998; 9 tackles and two sacks in 1999; and 15 tackles, one sack, and one fumble recovery in 2000.
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Mike Vrabel joined the New England Patriots as a free agent for the 2001 season.
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Mike Vrabel played in every game on defense, starting in 12.
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Mike Vrabel was one of the defensive stars as well; he had two sacks of Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme.
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Mike Vrabel finished with 10 career receptions in just 14 targets, all for touchdowns.
22.
In Week 8 of the 2007 season, Mike Vrabel forced three fumbles, had three sacks, recovered an onside kick, and scored an offensive touchdown against the Washington Redskins, for which he was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.
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Mike Vrabel moved inside again late in the 2006 season after Junior Seau suffered a broken arm.
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Mike Vrabel retired on July 10,2011, to become the linebackers coach at Ohio State.
25.
On January 10,2014, Mike Vrabel was hired by the Houston Texans as a linebackers coach.
26.
Mike Vrabel coached players such as JJ Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilus and Benardrick McKinney.
27.
On January 20,2018, Mike Vrabel was hired as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans on a five-year deal.
28.
On January 12,2025, Mike Vrabel was hired as the head coach of the New England Patriots.