New England Patriots - NESN.com
Onlookers have high hopes for Mike Vrabel’s return to the New England Patriots.
Vrabel assumes the mantle as New England’s head coach following consecutive 4-13 campaigns. With the 2021 Coach of the Year leading the charge, the Patriots are generating significant buzz entering the season.
NFL.com added more fuel to the hype machine when releasing its 2025 award predictions. Five of 30 participating analysts chose Vrabel to win Coach of the Year. The 50-year-old received the second-most votes behind new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson (eight).
Voters are often captivated by a first-year coach’s success. Kevin Stefanski won Coach of the Year when the Cleveland Browns snapped a 17-year playoff drought in 2020, and former Patriots assistant Brian Daboll received the honor when he guided the New York Giants to an unlikely playoff berth in 2022.
NFL.com noted that Super Bowl champions Pete Carroll, Mike Tomlin and Nick Sirianni have never won the award. Meanwhile, Andy Reid, John Harbaugh and Sean Payton are each one-time winners.
However, there’s precedent for a two-time Coach of the Year. Stefanski won again in 2023, and Ron Rivera received the honor in 2013 and 2015. Vrabel would join Bill Belichick, a three-time winner, as the second Patriots head coach to land the accolade.
Vrabel is currently the +600 betting favorite ahead of Johnson (+700) to win Coach of the Year on DraftKings Sportsbook. The former linebacker would likely need to lead New England into the playoffs, and usurping the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East would certainly bolster his candidacy.
The Vrabel era begins when the Patriots host Carroll’s Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Sept. 7 at 1 p.m. ET.
