Patriots’ Mike Vrabel wins NFL Coach of the Year Award

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Patriots’ Mike Vrabel wins NFL Coach of the Year Award

Chris Mason · MassLive

Fri, Feb 6, 2026 ·

3 min read

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SAN FRANCISCO — New England’s remarkable turnaround has netted Mike Vrabel some hardware ahead of Super Bowl 60.

Vrabel won the 2025 Coach of the Year Award at NFL Honors on Thursday night in San Francisco. The Patriots coach wasn’t on hand at the Palace of Fine Arts, as he was readying for the Seahawks, but this is the second time he’s won the award. The first came in 2021 as coach of the Tennessee Titans .

A legendary Patriots player, Vrabel returned to Foxborough last January and tried to right a ship that had been taking on water. Coming off back-to-back 4-13 seasons, the coach inherited one of the league’s worst rosters and overhauled it.

With Vrabel at the helm, the Patriots won the AFC East, have gone 17-3, and now sit one win away from a Lombardi Trophy.

Beyond that, Vrabel reestablished New England ’s culture.

Drake Maye , who emerged as one of the league’s best quarterbacks under Vrabel’s stewardship, said the coach’s presence was felt immediately.

“From day one, I feel like the guys have really taken what Coach Vrabel has wanted to do with us and have just really applied it to their lives in every single way,” Maye said. “Whether it’s on the field, off the field, getting treatment, doing little things, making great decisions off the field.

“I think the biggest thing is just – Coach Vrabel always says he treats us how we treat the team. I think that’s how guys have taken this year, and I think it’s just rallying together and wanting to play for each other. From there on, we just have had fun doing it every single day since, and it’s been a ride. Looking forward to trying to finish it off."

Veteran leader Stefon Diggs , in his 11th NFL season, says that one thing that has set Vrabel apart is his ability to build personal relationships with players and navigate the line between friend and coach.

“He has that perfect balance between workmanship and we can mess around a little bit,” Diggs said. “Once you’ve done everything you’re supposed to, he’s a regular guy. He’s like – I don’t want to call him one of the boys. He has that perfect dynamic or that balance between coach and used-to-be player, friend mindset or father mindset, because he meets you where you’re at the same way I like to approach things. He has little jokes. Calls people ‘little buddy.’ He walks around, we all got handshakes. That’s when I say he’s like one of – like part of the team. He’s the coach, but still has that player in him too as well. So, I think it makes for a great relationship."

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