Home / Sports / Vrabel Makes History with Second Coach of Year Award
Vrabel Makes History with Second Coach of Year Award
29 Jan
Summary
- Mike Vrabel won Coach of the Year twice with different teams.
- The Patriots achieved a 10-game turnaround under Vrabel's leadership.
- Vrabel is compared to legendary coaches like Don Shula and Andy Reid.
Mike Vrabel has secured his second Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year award, an achievement marking him as the first coach to win this honor twice with separate teams. His remarkable first season with the New England Patriots saw them rebound from a 4-13 record in 2024 to an impressive 13-4, representing a 10-game turnaround.
This success places Vrabel in an exclusive group of coaches who have won multiple Coach of the Year awards with different franchises, including Don Shula, Chuck Knox, Dick Vermeil, and Andy Reid. The Patriots are now looking to Vrabel, who previously won the award with the Titans in 2021, to build on this momentum, with second-year quarterback Drake Maye at the helm.
Vrabel's impact was evident in the team's defensive improvements and the accelerated development of Maye, with Josh McDaniels also returning to support the coaching staff. He is seen as a potential successor to Bill Belichick's legacy, having won three Super Bowls as a player under Belichick. This season, Vrabel narrowly edged out Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers and Mike Macdonald of the Seahawks, both of whom also had significant turnaround seasons.
