Mike Vrabel just added another line to an already impressive NFL résumé - and the timing couldn’t be better for the New England Patriots.
On the eve of Super Bowl LX, Vrabel was named NFL Coach of the Year at the league’s annual Honors ceremony Thursday night. It’s a well-earned nod for a coach who’s done more than just steady the ship in New England - he’s reignited a franchise that had been searching for its identity since the departure of two legends: Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
This marks Vrabel’s second time taking home the award, the first coming back in 2021 when he led the Tennessee Titans to the AFC’s No. 1 seed. But this one hits different. This time, he’s done it in his first year back with the Patriots - the same organization where he won three Super Bowls as a player - and he’s got them back on the sport’s biggest stage.
New England’s 14-3 record is its best finish since hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in 2016. That alone would’ve been a major storyline. But the way Vrabel’s done it - rebuilding the culture, reshaping the roster, and developing a young quarterback into a star - is what’s truly turned heads across the league.
Mike Vrabel is the AP Coach of the Year and in #SBLX in his first season as the @Patriots head coach 👏 #NFLHonors pic.twitter.com/ZcnaDd2WKx
— NFL (@NFL) February 6, 2026
Let’s talk about that quarterback. Drake Maye came into this season with promise, but under Vrabel’s no-nonsense leadership, the second-year QB has blossomed into one of the league’s rising elite. He’s shown poise, maturity, and playmaking ability well beyond his years - and he’s done it while leading a team that’s become one of the most disciplined and dangerous defenses in football.
That defensive edge? Not a coincidence.
Vrabel’s fingerprints are all over it. As a former linebacker and a three-time Super Bowl champ, he knows exactly what it takes to win in January - and now February.
His Patriots play with that same toughness and focus that defined the dynasty years, but with a fresh energy that feels uniquely his.
Vrabel edged out a strong group of finalists for the award, including Mike Macdonald (Seahawks), Liam Coen (Jaguars), Ben Johnson (Bears), and Kyle Shanahan (49ers). Each had a compelling case, but Vrabel’s turnaround job in New England - taking a team that had missed the playoffs three straight years and putting it back in the Super Bowl - was simply too much to ignore.
Now, the Patriots are one win away from their seventh Super Bowl title, and they’ll face a red-hot Seattle Seahawks team on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium. But no matter what happens in Santa Clara, Vrabel has already made his mark. He’s brought belief back to Foxborough.
And if this season is any indication, the Patriots are just getting started.