If the Patriots manage to finish the job on Sunday and hoist the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LX, Mike Vrabel won’t just be celebrating a title-he’ll be making history.
Vrabel would become just the fifth head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl in his first season at the helm. But unlike the others on that short list, Vrabel didn’t inherit a ready-made contender. He walked into a situation that, frankly, looked like a rebuild.
Let’s put that into perspective.
When Gary Kubiak took over the Broncos in 2015, he stepped into a locker room that had just posted a 12-4 record. That team had been to the Super Bowl two years earlier and was still firmly in its championship window.
Jon Gruden’s 2002 Buccaneers were a playoff team the year before he arrived, anchored by a dominant defense largely constructed by Tony Dungy. George Seifert’s 1989 49ers?
They were literally defending champions, fresh off a title under Bill Walsh. And Don McCafferty’s 1970 Colts had been to the Super Bowl just two years prior and had a winning record in '69 under Don Shula.
Now compare that to what Vrabel inherited in New England.
The Patriots were coming off back-to-back 4-win seasons-4-13 in 2024 under Jerod Mayo, and 4-13 again in 2023, a year split between Mayo and the tail end of Bill Belichick’s legendary run. The dynasty was over.
The Tom Brady era was long gone. The aura that once surrounded Foxborough had faded into the background of a league that had moved on.
So no, Vrabel didn’t walk into a turnkey operation. He walked into a franchise that had lost its footing, its identity, and-most importantly-its winning ways. And in just one season, he’s flipped the script.
That alone is remarkable. But now, with the Seahawks waiting in the Super Bowl, Vrabel has a chance to cap off one of the most impressive coaching debuts the league has ever seen. This isn’t just about wins and losses-it’s about culture, leadership, and reestablishing a standard that had slipped away.
The Patriots still have to finish the job. Seattle is no pushover. But if New England pulls it off, it’s time to talk about Vrabel’s first year not just as a success-but as the gold standard for first-year coaching turnarounds in NFL history.