Mike Vrabel - Pro Football Rumors

Titans Officially Hire Mike Vrabel

January 22nd, 2018 at 12:59pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s officially official now. In a Monday press conference, the Titans introduced new head coach Mike Vrabel to the local media.

Vrabel is now the 19th head coach in franchise history and the fourth since 2011. He signed a five-year deal with the team, a significantly longer commitment than the organization gave to predecessor Mike Mularkey.

Vrabel met with team general manager Jon Robinson and instantly hit it off, according to Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk.

“You could see their connection right away from the history they have with one another – seeing the game in a similar way and talking the same language. Mike has a commanding presence and a deep knowledge for how he will attack this head coaching opportunity,” Strunk said in a statement issued over the weekend.

Vrabel, 42, served one season as Houston’s defensive coordinator after beginning his NFL coaching career as a linebackers coach with the Texans for three seasons. The 14-year NFL veteran won three Super Bowls as a player, spending the majority of his career in New England. He earned one Pro Bowl and one First Team All-Pro selection (2007).

Despite being highly thought of around the league, Vrabel’s first season as defensive coordinator did not jump off the page. Houston’s defense finished last in points allowed, middle of the pack in yards, and in the bottom ten in sacks.

At the outset of the search, Robinson made it clear he wanted a “leader of men.” Some believed that Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was that guy, but Vrabel wowed Robinson in their meeting on Wednesday and the team never met with McDaniels. The team also interviewed Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, and Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.

Micah Powell contributed to this post.

Coaching Notes: Falcons, McDaniels, Titans

January 21st, 2018 at 10:39am CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons were set to add Darrell Bevell and Ken Dorsey to their quarterbacks coach interview list, but they might not have gotten around to it by the time they arrived at their decision. Greg Knapp will replace Bush Hamdan as Atlanta’s QBs coach, Alex Marvez of Sporting News reports. The 54-year-old Knapp did not coach in the NFL last season and spent the previous four years coaching the Broncos’ quarterbacks.

Knapp will return to Atlanta in a different capacity; he was the Falcons’ offensive coordinator from 2004-06. Running the most successful of the Michael Vick offenses, Knapp also was OC with the 49ers, Raiders (two stints) and Seahawks. The one-season stay in Seattle (2009) overlapped with Dan Quinn, who was the Seahawks’ defensive line coach from 2009-10. Knapp’s Broncos work may look a bit better now considering how far their quarterback play fell this season, and the Falcons are hoping he can help return Matt Ryan to top-tier status after a down year.

Here’s the latest from the coaching circuit.

Mike Vrabel‘s Titans deal is a five-year agreement, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). This is a noticeably bigger commitment to a first-time HC than the franchise made to Mike Mularkey, who was then set for his third go-round as a head coach. Mularkey received a three-year commitment in 2016.
Josh McDaniels was only seriously interested in the Colts and Giants‘ jobs, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe notes, adding that the Titans could have had a shot at the Patriots’ OC had they fired Mularkey late in what was an inconsistent regular season. McDaniels and Jon Robinson worked together in New England.
Volin adds McDaniels is not scared off by Andrew Luck‘s recent health history despite the Colts having redshirted their cornerstone performer this season. Luck still doesn’t have a firm timetable to return, but McDaniels signing on points to confidence he will be back come 2018.
Matt Patricia is not certain to hire a defensive coordinator with the Lions, Volin notes. Patricia will run the Lions’ defense regardless. This was the job he was connected to throughout the offseason, and despite reports emerging the Giants had him among their finalists, Volin notes that wasn’t the case. McDaniels and Pat Shurmur are believed to be the only HC candidates the Giants were considering, per Volin.
Paul Guenther‘s deal as Raiders DC is a four-year pact, Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. The Bengals made a “lucrative” offer to try to keep Guenther in his previous position after his contract expired, but after 15 seasons in Cincinnati, the veteran assistant wanted to work with Jon Gruden. Guenther said the Raiders will be running “80 to 90 percent” of what the Vikings run under Mike Zimmer, so the Raiders will have a firmer commitment to the 4-3 than in years past.
Josh McDaniels may well look to bring his younger brother with him to Indianapolis, Volin writes. The 37-year-old Ben McDaniels worked as a Bears offensive assistant for the past two seasons. He also served in that role for the 2009 Broncos before Josh McDaniels promoted him to quarterbacks coach in 2010, so it appears likely the brothers will reunite with the Colts soon.
The Titans will lose wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson to the college ranks. Jackson served as Tennessee’s wideouts coach for just one season, and he’ll take over the same job at Baylor, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com reports. The former NFL wideout was a college receivers coach from 2008-16.

Titans Hire Mike Vrabel As Head Coach

January 20th, 2018 at 5:05pm CST by Micah Powell

Less than a week after the departure of Mike Mularkey, the Titans have found his replacement in Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel, the team announced Saturday.

The former Patriots linebacker is set to be introduced at a press conference on Monday. Terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed. Vrabel becomes the 19th head coach in franchise history and the fourth since 2011.

Vrabel met with team general manager Jon Robinson and instantly hit it off, according to Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk. “You could see their connection right away from the history they have with one another – seeing the game in a similar way and talking the same language. Mike has a commanding presence and a deep knowledge for how he will attack this head coaching opportunity,” she said.

The chemistry should come as no surprise, as both were members of the Patriots organization –Vrabel as a player and Robinson as a scout.

“This is an incredible opportunity and one I have been preparing for my entire football life,” Vrabel said. “I am excited to get to work & that work starts now. Everything we do is going to be geared towards winning & being physical.”

Vrabel, 42, served one season as Houston’s defensive coordinator after beginning his NFL coaching career as a linebackers coach with the Texans for three seasons. The 14-year NFL veteran won three Super Bowls as a player, spending the majority of his career in New England. He earned one Pro Bowl and one First Team All-Pro selection (2007).

Despite being highly thought of around the league, Vrabel’s first season as defensive coordinator did not jump off the page. Houston’s defense finished last in points allowed, middle of the pack in yards and in the bottom 10 in sacks.

At the outset of the search, Robinson made it clear he wanted a “leader of men.” It was thought Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was that leader, but Vrabel wowed Robinson in their meeting on Wednesday and the team never met with McDaniels. The team also interviewed Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, and Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.

Coaching Rumors: Blackburn, Bears, Browns

January 18th, 2018 at 6:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers will be making a change atop their special teams staff. Incumbent special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey is out, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets, and the Sporting News’ Alex Marvez reports (on Twitter) Chase Blackburn will now run Carolina’s special teams units. A former linebacker who won two Super Bowls with the Giants and finished his career with the Panthers, Blackburn had been working as the Panthers’ assistant ST coach for the past two years.

Here’s the latest from the coaching ranks.

For the first time since 2010, someone other than Chris Tabor will oversee the Browns‘ ST units. Amos Jones will relocate to Cleveland to take over as the team’s special teams boss, Marvez tweets. Jones coached the Cardinals’ ST groups during Bruce Arians‘ five-year stay in Arizona. Tabor is now the Bears’ ST coordinator.
Rumored to be a candidate to stay in Chicago despite the Bears‘ coaching change, Dave Ragone will indeed stay on as the team’s quarterbacks coach, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports. This comes after the Bears interviewed both ex-Raiders OC Todd Downing and Texans assistant Pat O’Hara for the job. Ragone could be in line for an extension, Biggs notes, with one year remaining on his Bears contract.
Biggs also notes Vic Fangio believes most, if not all, of his defensive assistants will remain on staff. The Bears finished as the No. 14 DVOA defense in 2017 and retained Fangio despite his contract having expired.
The Titans‘ Steve Wilks HC interview took place Thursday. Both Wilks and Texans DC Mike Vrabel interviewed for this job today. Wilks remains a candidate for the Cards’ HC job.
Speaking of the Cardinals‘ HC position, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic tweets James Bettcher likely won’t need a second interview to be hired. Should the Cards determine their current DC is the right man for the job, Somers notes his five years of experience working with the team should be a sufficient judge rather than a second meeting for the HC job.
The Raiders continued to add to their coaching staff this week, bringing aboard four new assistants to Jon Gruden 2.0’s first staff. Recently jettisoned Packers defensive line coach Mike Trgovac will land in Oakland as its D-line instructor, and Byron Storer will be the team’s assistant special teams coach. Trgovac coached Green Bay’s defensive lines from 2009-17. The 33-year-old Storer played for Gruden as a fullback in Tampa Bay from 2007-08 but hasn’t coached in the NFL since working with the 2013 Chargers. Additionally, Tim Berbenich and Travis Smith will be offensive and defensive quality control coaches, respectively. Smith’s been a Raiders assistant for most of this decade. He served as outside linebackers coach in 2017 after being promoted from the quality control group last year.

Coaching Rumors: Titans, Cowboys, Texans

January 17th, 2018 at 8:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Weather-related concerns are forcing the Titans to shift the timeline of their head coaching search, as Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets. Whereas Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel and Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur were originally scheduled to interview with Tennessee on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, Vrabel and LaFleur will now sit down with Titans general manager Jon Robinson on Thursday and Friday, respectively. Vrabel, LaFleur, and Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks — whose is currently en route to Tennessee for his interivew, per Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer — are the only definitive candidates for the Tennessee job thus far, but reports have indicated the Titans could also have interest in Eagles OC Frank Reich.

Here’s more from the 2018 hiring cycle:

Former NFL defensive coordinators John Pagano and Ray Horton will meet with the Cowboys, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Pagano, the longtime Chargers’ DC, spent last season as an assistant head coach (and later, interim DC) for the Raiders, while Horton — formerly the defensive play-caller for the Cardinals, Titans, and Browns, didn’t work in the NFL in 2017. Dallas already has a defensive coordinator in Rod Marinelli, but the Cowboys were reportedly willing to promote Marinelli to assistant head coach in order to keep ex-LBs coach Matt Eberflus.
While the Cowboys are apparently considering additions to their defensive coaching staff, they’ve made a hire on the offensive side of the ball in new wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal, tweets David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. Lal, 48, originally joined the NFL ranks with the Raiders in 2007, and has since coached wideouts for Oakland, New York, and Buffalo. Former Cowboys wide receiver/current Cowboys scout Miles Austin also reportedly interviewed for the position.
The Texans have hired former Raiders special teams coach Brad Seely for the same position, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Seely was forced out in Oakland earlier this month when the Raiders hired Rich Bisaccia as their new assistant head coach/special teams. He’ll replace Larry Izzo, the former NFL linebacker who led Houston to a No. 31 ranking in special teams DVOA a season ago. Seely, 61, has been an NFL ST coach since 1989, and the Texans will be his eighth professional stop. He should have a working relationship with Houston head coach Bill O’Brien, as the pair spent time together with the Patriots from 2007-08.

Titans Request Mike Vrabel Interview

January 15th, 2018 at 12:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Hours after announcing they now have a coaching vacancy, the Titans have submitted a request to interview Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Vrabel is scheduled to speak with team on Wednesday, January 17, Breer adds in another tweet.

Vrabel, whom John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter) will interview for the job, remains a finalist for the Colts’ HC post. However, Josh McDaniels is currently the frontrunner for that job despite Vrabel having made it into the final two.

Titans GM Jon Robinson and Vrabel’s Patriots tenures overlapped. The former linebacker played in New England for seven seasons during Robinson’s run as a Patriots scout or scouting director. The Titans could interview Vrabel on Jan. 28.

The 42-year-old Vrabel has only been a coordinator for one season but booked HC interviews with the Lions and Colts this year, and McClain notes (via Twitter) he’s likely to be a head coach soon.

Josh McDaniels, Mike Vrabel Finalists For Colts’ HC Job

January 13th, 2018 at 11:11am CST by Ben Levine

Nearly two weeks after firing coach Chuck Pagano, it sounds like the Colts are zeroing in on a pair of potential replacements. NFL.com’s Albert Breer reports (via Twitter) that Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel have “emerged as finalists” for the head coaching gig.

The Colts cast a relatively wide net during their search. In addition to Vrabel and McDaniels, our head coaching tracker shows that the organization also reached out to Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard, former Chiefs offensive coordinator (and current Bears head coach) Matt Nagy, Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, and Baylor head coach Matt Rhule. Breer cautions that the Colts could add another name to their list of “finalists.”

McDaniels compiled an underwhelming 11-17 record during his two-year stint with the Broncos, but he’s had a lot more success serving as the offensive coordinator for the Patriots. New England’s offense has ranked in the top-10 for points scored during each of his nine years at the helm. Meanwhile, Vrabel’s first season as the Texans defensive coordinator didn’t lead to stellar results. However, the former Patriots linebacker previously displayed his coaching chops while serving as Houston’s linebackers coach between 2014 and 2016.

Matt Patricia Prefers Giants To Lions

January 10th, 2018 at 2:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots are bracing for Matt Patricia to leave, but it might not be for the Lions’ head coaching job. The defensive guru is also up for the Giants’ job and he prefers the G-Men to the Lions, Peter King of The MMQB hears.

If Patricia is offered the Giants’ head coaching position and accepts, it will have a domino effect reaching Detroit and beyond. If Patricia goes to the Giants, the Lions may pivot to Houston defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel, King hears. If that happens, Vrabel would be out of the running for the Colts’ HC job.

The Giants were abysmal in 2017, but they have lots of talent to work with on defense including cornerback Janoris Jenkins and defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon. If Patricia can get underperforming youngsters like Eli Apple on the right track, the Giants could return to having one of the better defensive units in the NFL. The Giants also have the No. 2 overall pick at their disposal, so Patricia’s preference towards New York is understandable.

Lions To Interview Mike Vrabel, Pat Shurmur This Week

January 2nd, 2018 at 7:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions will interview Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel for their head coaching vacancy on Wednesday, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link), while Detroit’s meeting with Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur will take place on Thursday, per Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).

In his first year as Houston’s defensive play-caller, Vrabel — who took over for veteran coach Romeo Crennel — lead the Texans to a No. 23 ranking in DVOA. While that’s not an overly impressive finish, Houston was dealing with the loss of defensive stalwarts such as J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus, so Vrabel was forced to work with limited options. He’s also drawn interest from the Colts, who have requested to interview the 42-year-old coach.

Detroit put in a request earlier this week to interview Shurmur, and that proposal has evidently been granted by the division-rival Vikings. Because Minnesota has a first-round playoff bye, Shurmur is allowed to interview this week. Injuries to Sam Bradford, Teddy Bridgewater, and Dalvin Cook meant Shurmur lead an offense built around Case Keenum, Latavius Murray, and Jerick McKinnon, but the Vikings still managed to finish fifth in offensive DVOA.

Vrabel and Shurmur aren’t the only candidates the Lions are interested in, as general manager Bob Quinn & Co. has interviewed incumbent defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, incumbent offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, and Packers assistant head coach Winston Moss today. Detroit has also requested permission to interview Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.

Colts To Interview Texans DC Mike Vrabel, Request Josh McDaniels Summit

January 1st, 2018 at 3:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans granted the Colts permission to speak with their defensive coordinator, Mike Vrabel, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. And the Colts now have three names to whom they’ve submitted interview requests.

Indianapolis also submitted a request to meet with Josh McDaniels, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Chris Ballard said Monday (via Mike Wells of ESPN.com) previous head-coaching experience will not be mandatory to fill Chuck Pagano‘s spot. Panthers DC Steve Wilks, a first-year coordinator, confirmed the Colts requested an interview with him.

McDaniels figures to be a sought-after name on the market again this year. The Patriots OC has been selective in the past, though, so it won’t be a given he jumps at the chance to coach Andrew Luck — whose future remains uncertain.

Vrabel just finished his first season as Houston’s DC. His unit fell from first in 2016 to 20th this season. However, the Texans encountered serious injury problems in Vrabel’s first season. The former Patriots stalwart’s name came up in the Rams’ and 49ers’ HC searches last year.