Pats Pulpit
Vrabel spent time with both Frank Piraino and John Streicher in Tennessee.
The New England Patriots’ coaching staff is slowly starting to take shape. Not only has a group of assistants already left the organization, the team also has begun the process of filling the first openings.
Among those expected to be brought in are two of new head coach Mike Vrabel’s former assistants with the Tennessee Titans, Frank Piraino and John Streicher. According to a report by Mike Reiss of ESPN, the belief is that both will end up filling roles on Vrabel’s staff in New England.
Sources around the NFL expect Vrabel to bring Frank Piraino, his former strength coach in Tennessee, to New England to achieve that goal. Piraino, who knows the area well from his time at Boston College, spent last season with the Giants.
And just as Bill Belichick had football research director Ernie Adams to assist him with game management, Vrabel had John Streicher in that role with the Titans. Now, Streicher is expected to follow Vrabel to New England. Streicher, who like Vrabel is an Ohio State alum, spent the 2024 season with the Rams.
Piraino spent five seasons with Vrabel in Tennessee, originally serving as strength and conditioning coach and later as director of sports performance for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He left the organization in the wake of Vrabel’s firing in January 2024, becoming part of a group of Titans assistants joining the New York Giants.
In what will end up as his lone year in New York, he worked as director of strength and conditioning. It appears likely he will hold a similar role with the Patriots as a possible replacement for Deron Mayo, who brother Jerod was fired as head coach after a 4-13 season in 2024.
Streicher spent the 2024 season with the Los Angeles Rams as a game management coordinator. Before making the move west, he worked under Vrabel in Tennessee for five years. Initially an assistant to the head coach (2018-19), he later was moved to football development (2020-22), and finally installed as director of football administration in 2023.
The Patriots announced Vrabel as their 16th head coach last week.
