Latest news with #Vrabel
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel sounds like Bill Parcells, coaches like Bill Belichick, and even has a dash of Jerod Mayo
Vrabel, 49, certainly has many influences over a four-decade football life. At his opening news conference, he thanked high school coach Gerry Rardin, college coach John Cooper, NFL coaches Bill Cowher, John Mitchell, and Romeo Crennel, and college bosses Luke Fickell, Urban Meyer, and Bill O'Brien. Advertisement But for anyone who has spent time in Foxborough over the past 30 years, Vrabel's demeanor is strikingly familiar. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'I would say there's definitely more of Parcells in him, in terms of a lot of charm, a lot of charisma, and a lot of energy,' said former linebacker Ted Johnson, who played for Parcells and Belichick in Foxborough. 'But the Belichick stuff is just not leaving any stone unturned, being a smart football team, having guys that are versatile and high football IQ. Those are all qualities Belichick looked for, and Vrabel is the same way.' Vrabel never played for Parcells, but they are practically spirit animals. Parcells was legendary for his New Jersey, Advertisement 'That was a big part of his coaching style, was the interplay with players, particularly guys that he had an affinity for,' Johnson said. 'He loved to chirp and to bust on guys, and he was a phenomenal motivator.' Related : Vrabel isn't from Jersey, but he was a top-rate trash-talker as a player, and hasn't let up as a coach. Last week in practice, Vrabel wore scout-team pinny No. 5. Safety Jabrill Peppers, who wears No. 5, told Vrabel to take off the jersey. 'He told me to go check in on the Patriots Hall of Fame,' Peppers said, 'so there's nothing I can say to come back from that.' Vrabel, of course, was 'He came in here blowing smoke, and I said I didn't know he played the same position as me,' Swinson said. 'I got educated on it, so now he just clowns me for it.' Related : And in Parcells-ian fashion, Vrabel jumped all over a, ahem, certain reporter last week who repeated a question that had been asked 10 minutes earlier. 'Whether you were in a coma when I answered Tom's question, typing on your phone or tweeting, I don't know,' Vrabel said. 'But I spent five minutes answering that question. I can go back through it, but I'd rather not.' Johnson said Parcells 'knew which buttons to push,' and he sees the same in Vrabel. 'Parcells didn't treat everyone the same, and I think that's Mike,' said Johnson, who played with Vrabel from 2001-04. 'He identifies what guys need, and then acts accordingly.' Advertisement Vrabel also has plenty of Belichick in his style. It's only natural after playing for Belichick for eight seasons and winning three Super Bowls. They come from similar backgrounds — Vrabel and Belichick are only-children whose parents were football coaches and educators. And like Belichick, Vrabel spends his days Mike Vrabel played for Bill Belichick for eight seasons, winning three Super Bowls. Winslow Townson/Associated Press 'Any time you see Vrabs, be ready to answer a question. That's my mind-set,' Peppers said. 'Make sure guys are taking notes, because he might ask you a question from OTAs. He hasn't got me yet.' In the first team meeting in April, Vrabel quizzed the room about the last time the Patriots won the AFC East title, and no one knew the answer (2019). Players learned quickly to be prepared. 'He does it all the time — with me he'll ask about scheme stuff,' linebacker Christian Elliss said. 'We have to stay mentally aware, and we've got to make sure when he does ask us we answer the right way, or else it's not only shame on you, but shame on your whole position.' Johnson said the quizzes create accountability, which is a big part of building a program. 'It will force guys to maybe study more than they would have otherwise,' Johnson said. 'The worst thing you can do is be embarrassed in front of your own teammates.' Related : Vrabel has been quizzing the media, too. When asked what would make it a successful training camp, Vrabel turned the question around. Advertisement 'If we can remember what the objectives of training camp were, which were, do you remember? No?' Vrabel said. Eventually, the answers were found: Build a team, earn a role, and prepare to win. 'You guys are on fire today,' Vrabel said. 'We're off to a great start.' Vrabel's style is also influenced by one angle Parcells and Belichick could never replicate — that of a former player. In that sense, Vrabel is similar to Mayo, though Mayo's inexperience as a coach seemed to prevent him from fully connecting with his team. But Vrabel and his staff are giving veteran players occasional days off to ensure they are fresh for Week 1. And Vrabel might be 15 years removed from his playing days, but he is an active participant in practice, whether it's playing free safety on the scout team or wearing a blocking pad and going one-on-one with the linemen. 'When you've got a guy that played at a high level, won some Super Bowls and got it out of the mud, you've got a certain respect for him,' said right tackle Morgan Moses, now in his 12th season. 'When you see a coach holding pads and getting blasted every day, and he's not complaining, he's not moaning about it, that makes everybody respect that level of attitude.' On the practice field, Vrabel sounds like Parcells, coaches like Belichick, and adds a dash of Mayo. The Patriots can only hope it's the right recipe for success. Ben Volin can be reached at
USA Today
16 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla visits New England Patriots practice
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla is no stranger to trying to pick up things he can use from his fellow New England sports teams, and that tradition continued with a visit to a preseason New England Patriots practice this past Wednesday (July 30), according to recent reporting from Boston Dot Com's Khari A. Thompson. Mazzulla has been to Patriots practices in past seasons, soaking in how the team communicates defensively, perhaps making use of that with the Celtics by translating it into a basketball context. Current Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was enthusiastic about the inter-sport meeting of the minds. "Joe is fantastic. I appreciate him just from the time that I got here, reaching out," said Vrabel. "We're probably different personalities, and I think that that's probably what I appreciate the most about him," added the Patriots coach. "He's always trying to learn and gain knowledge different ways about building a team, about strategy, about scheme, about inspiring players to do their job," related Vrabel. "I always love my conversations with him, and I'm excited that he was able to come out here with his son (Michael Harden, his stepson who plays football at Xavieran, per Thompson) today." Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on: Spotify: iTunes: YouTube:
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Mike Vrabel recalled getting into a training camp fight as a rookie in 1997
When asked a reporter at his 'I don't want any of us doing that,' he said. Vrabel then quickly replied 'nope' when asked if he could offer more detail from that earlier moment in his career. Advertisement Eventually, however, he reflected on the episode. Vrabel took the bait when a reporter asked if he won the fight. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'I think I did,' he said. 'It's a good story about — don't use the fight — but about a veteran player. Greg Lloyd was a very dominant player, imposing figure. I got drafted in April, and he didn't say a word to me through OTAs. And I'm on the defense, mind you. So he didn't say a word to me the entire offseason. 'We go to training camp. There's a fight with me and a tight end, and I'm exhausted after practice, and I see this shadow come over me as I'm sitting in the locker room, and he's in his deep voice, and he's like, 'Yeah, the next time you want to come up underneath the face mask?' I was like, 'You just now are going to talk to me?' He's like, 'Yeah, I just wanted to make sure you weren't like a punk, and then I would talk to you.' Advertisement 'It's a good example of just a veteran making sure that rookies kind of earn their stripes, I guess, a little bit.' Asked if he has specifically told his players to not fight, Vrabel provided a detailed explanation. 'Of course,' Vrabel replied. 'We want to be able to practice the same way we have to play, which is physical and within the rules. Have a great play demeanor, finish through the whistle, and all those things. 'If you throw a punch, you're going to get kicked out of the game, which is going to cost the team. So I don't anticipate any of that,' he said. 'I want us to celebrate with our team and with the defensive unit, celebrate with each other. Offensive unit, get excited and celebrate with each other, not get into the taunting and the things that we can't have during the game.' Vrabel, drafted by the Steelers, played with Pittsburgh from 1997-2000. But after not becoming a starter, he was allowed to test free agency. Bill Belichick and the Patriots gratefully swooped in to sign him, and the edge-rusher became an important part of the early part of New England's dynasty, winning three Super Bowls in four seasons. Hayden Bird can be reached at
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Will Mike Vrabel consider a career in media after coaching? Here's what he had to say
FOXBORO — Mike Vrabel will take any opportunity to poke fun at the media, and Monday was no different. The New England Patriots head coach had a funny exchange with reporters, specifically when asked what he would do if he were in the media's shoes. Before the reporter could even finish his question, Vrabel immediately cut in. "You mean if I was a part of the media? I don't think there's ever a scenario where that would happen," he said. But the reporter wasn't willing to let this go. "Oh, that's absolutely a matter of time. You already did stuff with [Michael] Felger 15 years ago," they responded. However, Vrabel didn't back down and made his plans for his post-coaching career very clear. "As soon as I'm done with this, I'm going to be in the witness protection program," he joked. "You will never find me." Vrabel has been in the public eye since he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1997 NFL draft. He then joined the Patriots in 2001, where he cemented himself as a key piece of the dynasty, going on to win three Super Bowls. Finally, he finished his playing career with the Kansas City Chiefs. But he wasn't ready to completely give up football yet, leading to the beginning of his coaching career at Ohio State, where he also played college football. He made the move to the NFL in 2014, joining the Houston Texans staff as the linebackers coach before becoming defensive coordinator for the 2017 season. Vrabel got his first head coaching opportunity in 2018 with the Tennessee Titans, but was dismissed in 2023. Afterwards, he served as a coaching and personnel consultant for the Cleveland Browns for a year, but New England needed a coach, and they had their eyes set on Vrabel from the beginning. That's certainly not someone who is hiding away from the media, but once the time comes, it seems he'll be very ready to get out of the spotlight. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
USA Today
23-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Patriots All-Pro's honest comparison of Mike Vrabel to past coaches
Brenden Schooler: "(Vrabel) brings a different vibe from years previous where it's not that you're scared, but you know he's not messing around. If you're not on your Ps and Qs ... I don't think guys are going to be sticking around long."Adds Vrabel's also brought excitement. New England Patriots special-teams ace Brenden Schooler discussed what newly-hired head coach Mike Vrabel brings to the table in comparison to past coaches. The All-Pro specialist admitted that it's a different vibe in the building these days. "(Vrabel) brings a different vibe from years previous where it's not that you're scared, but you know he's not messing around. If you're not on your Ps and Qs ... I don't think guys are going to be sticking around long," said Schooler, via Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan. Schooler is only in his fourth NFL season, and he has already had three different coaches, including Vrabel, Jerod Mayo and six-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick. In such a short time, he has seen it all on the coaching side of things. It's safe to say that Schooler appreciates the tough and gritty coaching mentality. Vrabel can be considered a player's coach, but he's also going to challenge his players to get the most out of them. Effort is paramount on a team coached by Vrabel, and if you aren't giving 100 percent, you won't be around for long. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
