Patriots coach Mike Vrabel sounds like Bill Parcells, coaches like Bill Belichick, and even has a dash of Jerod Mayo

Boston Globe

7 days ago

Vrabel, 49, certainly has many influences over a four-decade football life. At his opening news conference, he thanked high school coach Gerry Rardin, college coach John Cooper, NFL coaches Bill Cowher, John Mitchell, and Romeo Crennel, and college bosses Luke Fickell, Urban Meyer, and Bill O'Brien.
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But for anyone who has spent time in Foxborough over the past 30 years, Vrabel's demeanor is strikingly familiar.
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'I would say there's definitely more of Parcells in him, in terms of a lot of charm, a lot of charisma, and a lot of energy,' said former linebacker Ted Johnson, who played for Parcells and Belichick in Foxborough. 'But the Belichick stuff is just not leaving any stone unturned, being a smart football team, having guys that are versatile and high football IQ. Those are all qualities Belichick looked for, and Vrabel is the same way.'
Vrabel never played for Parcells, but they are practically spirit animals. Parcells was legendary for his New Jersey,
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'That was a big part of his coaching style, was the interplay with players, particularly guys that he had an affinity for,' Johnson said. 'He loved to chirp and to bust on guys, and he was a phenomenal motivator.'
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Vrabel isn't from Jersey, but he was a top-rate trash-talker as a player, and hasn't let up as a coach.
Last week in practice, Vrabel wore scout-team pinny No. 5. Safety Jabrill Peppers, who wears No. 5, told Vrabel to take off the jersey.
'He told me to go check in on the Patriots Hall of Fame,' Peppers said, 'so there's nothing I can say to come back from that.' Vrabel, of course, was
'He came in here blowing smoke, and I said I didn't know he played the same position as me,' Swinson said. 'I got educated on it, so now he just clowns me for it.'
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And in Parcells-ian fashion, Vrabel jumped all over a, ahem, certain reporter last week who repeated a question that had been asked 10 minutes earlier.
'Whether you were in a coma when I answered Tom's question, typing on your phone or tweeting, I don't know,' Vrabel said. 'But I spent five minutes answering that question. I can go back through it, but I'd rather not.'
Johnson said Parcells 'knew which buttons to push,' and he sees the same in Vrabel.
'Parcells didn't treat everyone the same, and I think that's Mike,' said Johnson, who played with Vrabel from 2001-04. 'He identifies what guys need, and then acts accordingly.'
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Vrabel also has plenty of Belichick in his style. It's only natural after playing for Belichick for eight seasons and winning three Super Bowls.
They come from similar backgrounds — Vrabel and Belichick are only-children whose parents were football coaches and educators.
And like Belichick, Vrabel spends his days
Mike Vrabel played for Bill Belichick for eight seasons, winning three Super Bowls.
Winslow Townson/Associated Press
'Any time you see Vrabs, be ready to answer a question. That's my mind-set,' Peppers said. 'Make sure guys are taking notes, because he might ask you a question from OTAs. He hasn't got me yet.'
In the first team meeting in April, Vrabel quizzed the room about the last time the Patriots won the AFC East title, and no one knew the answer (2019). Players learned quickly to be prepared.
'He does it all the time — with me he'll ask about scheme stuff,' linebacker Christian Elliss said. 'We have to stay mentally aware, and we've got to make sure when he does ask us we answer the right way, or else it's not only shame on you, but shame on your whole position.'
Johnson said the quizzes create accountability, which is a big part of building a program.
'It will force guys to maybe study more than they would have otherwise,' Johnson said. 'The worst thing you can do is be embarrassed in front of your own teammates.'
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Vrabel has been quizzing the media, too. When asked what would make it a successful training camp, Vrabel turned the question around.
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'If we can remember what the objectives of training camp were, which were, do you remember? No?' Vrabel said. Eventually, the answers were found: Build a team, earn a role, and prepare to win.
'You guys are on fire today,' Vrabel said. 'We're off to a great start.'
Vrabel's style is also influenced by one angle Parcells and Belichick could never replicate — that of a former player. In that sense, Vrabel is similar to Mayo, though Mayo's inexperience as a coach seemed to prevent him from fully connecting with his team.
But Vrabel and his staff are giving veteran players occasional days off to ensure they are fresh for Week 1. And Vrabel might be 15 years removed from his playing days, but he is an active participant in practice, whether it's playing free safety on the scout team or wearing a blocking pad and going one-on-one with the linemen.
'When you've got a guy that played at a high level, won some Super Bowls and got it out of the mud, you've got a certain respect for him,' said right tackle Morgan Moses, now in his 12th season. 'When you see a coach holding pads and getting blasted every day, and he's not complaining, he's not moaning about it, that makes everybody respect that level of attitude.'
On the practice field, Vrabel sounds like Parcells, coaches like Belichick, and adds a dash of Mayo. The Patriots can only hope it's the right recipe for success.
Ben Volin can be reached at