With Bill Belichick the new head coach at the University of North Carolina, Mike Vrabel is arguably the hottest candidate in the NFL right now.
He isn’t Belichick, but he had success in six seasons with the Tennessee Titans, a somewhat undermanned squad he coached to the playoffs three times, including an improbable AFC Championship Game appearance in the 2019 season.
He has already interviewed with the New York Jets and reportedly has a checklist for what he wants from a new job.
“Mike Vrabel has spent the past year considering what he wants out of his next head coaching job. … Vrabel’s three keys: Ownership, collaboration, quarterback,” The Athletic wrote on X.
Mike Vrabel has spent the past year considering what he wants out of his next head coaching job.
His season away helped to crystalize his priorities, writes @ZackBlatt.
Vrabel’s three keys: Ownership, collaboration, quarterback.https://t.co/UGAvPh8gmv pic.twitter.com/QNQjkPZa8n
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) January 3, 2025
Perhaps the greatest mark of a good head coach isn’t necessarily winning championships but simply maximizing the talent he has been given to work with, and that’s exactly what Vrabel did while in Tennessee.
The Titans had running back Derrick Henry and, for a few years, wide receiver A.J. Brown, but none of their quarterbacks were ever even near-elite. Ryan Tannehill made the Pro Bowl in 2019 but would soon regress to his previous level of play.
Vrabel is expected to interview with several teams, but if he does choose the Jets, they will have a lot of work to do to provide him with those three keys.
It is unknown if they want Aaron Rodgers to return as their starting QB, and they need to hire a general manager after firing Joe Douglas earlier this season.
