Mike Vrabel was hired as the Patriots coach in January, but Robert Kraft knew in 2020 that he would be a good candidate to coach the team.
“That magic moment came to me in the last game (Tom) Brady and (Bill) Belichick ever played as a unit,” Kraft said during his appearance on “Up & Adams” on Wednesday. “He beat us in the playoffs, and I looked over and thought, ‘He’s a guy who’s been exposed to the greatest coach and the greatest quarterback, and he was able to overcome.’ He has knowledge that’s intrinsic to being in this system, and he knew how to use it in a way to benefit his team.”
The Tennessee Titans — led by Vrabel during the 2019 playoffs — defeated New England in the AFC Wild Card round, 20-13. The loss also signified the end of the Tom Brady era in Foxborough.
“Ever since that moment, I’ve thought, ‘Wow, this is a guy, one day, we should consider to lead our efforts,'” Kraft said.
Five years later, it came to fruition when Vrabel was introduced as the coach in January. He takes over a team that’s coming off a second straight 4-13 season.
Vrabel quickly made sweeping changes to the team and had a strong draft that addressed a lot of needs the Patriots had.
Whether Kraft’s hire works out this time remains to be seen, but Vrabel knows how to get the most out of the team he has in front of him.
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