The Patriots are warriors, and the Herald is profiling them in the week leading up to Super Bowl LX. Check back every day as we post the newest profile leading up to the game, and pick up a copy of the paper for a color print:

Mike Vrabel profile

Hometown:

Akron, Ohio

Path to Patriots:

Vrabel was hired as the Patriots’ head coach on Jan. 12, 2025, one year after being fired by the Titans. He spent his off year as a coaching and personnel consultant with the Browns. Vrabel first joined the Patriots as a free-agent linebacker in 2001 after his contract with the Steelers ran out. He won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and played in one more before being traded to the Chiefs in 2009. After his playing career was done, Vrabel held assistant coaching roles with Ohio State and the Texans.

Best game:

The last one. The Patriots’ AFC Championship Game win over the Broncos was as much about coaching and ball control as it was the Patriots’ talent on the field, especially once conditions became inclement in the second half.

Big number:

17. That’s how many games the Patriots have won this season. They won just 16 games in their three previous seasons combined. The Titans have managed just six wins since firing Vrabel after the 2023 season.

Did you know?

Vrabel, a Patriots Hall of Famer as a player, caught 12 touchdown passes in the regular season and postseason combined. He continued the tradition of using defensive players on offense this season by using 335-pound defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga as a fullback.

He said it:

On his coaching style: “I think you try to have a core belief in what you do. And I think you try to be consistent with that. But I think you also have to be authentic. I think they have to see you be upset, be disappointed, be sad, share personal experiences. I talk about how much time we spend together. So, I think it just goes all the way back to when — they don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”