While Bill Belichick's first replacement didn't work out ... "I've stayed in pretty close contact with Mike Vrabel and I have a ton of respect for him.. He's a great football coach and I'm sure he'll do a great job in New England" ~ Coach Belichick# ...

Vrabel reunites with his former NFL team after more than a decade, taking over the helm of the organization for which he played eight years from 2001 to ‘08. During the presser,

When asked how it felt to coach Belichick’s former team, Vrabel offered a nuanced response.

New Patriots coach Mike Vrabel insists his style is his own, but he might borrow a few techniques to help rebuild the team.

Now, with O’Brien revitalizing BC and Vrabel looking to do the same with the Patriots, the area’s most prominent football teams are led by men who bonded in Foxborough.

"I love Mike. I love everything that he stands for as a football coach." Mike Vrabel was endorsed by Bill Belichick during this UNC coach's "Pat McAfee Show" appearance.

The New England Patriots officially hired Mike Vrabel as their next head coach on Sunday, bringing back one of the team's Hall of Famers and Super Bowl champions to lead the franchise. As Vrabel takes over for the storied franchise that has dominated 21st-century football, his former Patriots coach, Bill Belichick, has since reacted to the hiring.

FOXBORO — Bill Belichick has already said more positive things about Mike Vrabel in his one day as the Patriots’ head coach than he did about Jerod Mayo in a full year. Vrabel was officially introduced as the Patriots head coach on Monday at Gillette Stadium. He was hired Sunday morning.

It didn't take very long for the New England Patriots to identify their choice to be their next head coach and that man is former Patriot, Mike Vrabel.

The Patriots are not winning games, but they are winning the battle for the hearts and minds of the sporting public. The Patriots get grace. The Red Sox get told to get a clue.

Just one year after the Patriots promoted Jerod Mayo to head coach, they were already looking for his successor: Mayo was fired shortly after his team’s 4-13 season concluded, making him just the second head coach in franchise history to go one-and-done.