Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Named AP NFL Coach of the Year, OC Josh McDaniels Named Assistant Coach of the Year
On Thursday night, the Associated Press named head coach Mike Vrabel the Coach of the Year and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels took home assistant coach of the year honors. Vrabel beat out four other finalists to become the 14th coach all-time to win Coach of the Year two or more times, as New England’s head coach also won the award as Titans head coach in the 2021 season. Vrabel is also the first Patriots coach to win the award since Bill Belichick in 2010.
Vrabel inherited a Patriots team that won a total of eight games combined in the two seasons before his arrival. This season, New England tied for the best record in the NFL at 14-3. The 10-win turnaround is tied for the biggest one-year improvement in NFL history, tying the 1999 Colts and 2008 Dolphins, who also had 10-win improvements from the prior season. The Patriots also became the first team in NFL history to go 9-0 on the road (including playoffs) and went from 29th in FTN Fantasy’s DVOA metric last season to ninth in the 2025 season.
To truly appreciate the job Vrabel has done in his first season as Patriots head coach, one must understand that he’s truly a CEO head coach. Unlike other coaches who focus on one side of the ball, Vrabel touches every element of New England’s football operation. Obviously, Vrabel’s area of expertise is defense, as a former defensive player and defensive coordinator. However, he has his hand in everything, from coaching in all three phases to personnel decisions and various other elements that come with running a football team at the highest levels.
The biggest example is Vrabel’s role in the ascension of second-year QB Drake Maye into an MVP candidate this season. Although he’ll be the first to say that Vrabel isn’t calling the offense or coaching Maye on the nuances of playing the position, like reading defenses and footwork, which is McDaniels’ purview, the Pats HC has challenged his young quarterback to be a more vocal leader and rise to the occasion in the biggest moments. Maye credits Vrabel for pushing the Pats QB to be a better pro in the early stages of his career and that has paid huge dividends.
Another example is Vrabel’s involvement in the offensive line room. As a former outside linebacker, Vrabel brings the defense’s perspective to offensive line meetings, with veteran players saying they’ve never had a head coach spend more time in the O-Line room. One anecdote also includes how Vrabel tweaked starting LG Jared Wilson’s stance to have the rookie play in a two-point stance, which helped the first-year pro’s execution.
Along with helping out the offensive line, reporters routinely see Vrabel’s hands-on coaching at practice. Most notably, Vrabel will coach up players while giving constant pointers to improve their techniques. During media access to practice, reporters often see special teams periods. Vrabel, of course, contributed plenty on special teams during his playing career, so he is often in the middle of drills offering coaching points, sometimes wearing a chest pad he helped design that allows him to get into some of the physical aspects of Patriots practices. As a result of his hands-on coaching, the Patriots were among the least penalized teams in the league, which is usually an indication of a well-coached team.
Lastly, there’s a strong argument to be made that Vrabel is the best coach in the NFL when it comes to game management. Along with trusted confidant John “Stretch” Streicher, Vrabel finds advantages in clock management, fourth down decisions, and coaching challenges. This season, Vrabel was among the best coaches in deciding when to go for it on fourth down, using a combination of analytics and instincts to make a number of good in-game decisions.
For example, the Patriots kicked a field goal before halftime to take a lead into the break in their Week 5 win over the Bills, giving them momentum heading into the second half. In Week 10, Vrabel opted to be more aggressive by going for a fourth down in a similar situation vs. the Bucs in Tampa Bay. This time, New England scored a fourth-down touchdown before the half to take a 14-10 lead in a game it eventually won. All season, Vrabel pressed the right buttons.
