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Butch Stearns talks legacy, vision and Patriots’ culture with new head coach Mike Vrabel

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Mike Vrabel, the 16th head coach in New England Patriots history, is tasked with turning around a team that finished 4-13 in the 2024 season and surrounding 22-year-old quarterback Drake Maye with stability.

Boston 25′s Butch Stearns sat down with the Patriots Hall of Famer sat to discuss forging a new legacy in New England, his past coaching experience and his vision for the new culture in Foxborough.

Butch: Michael, what does it mean to you to be back here?

Vrabel: I mean, it’s a lot of emotions, right? But it means that I’m thankful for the people that helped me get here along the way, that I’m grateful for the opportunity. I’m excited for the responsibility of that and what all that means to just, you know, like I said, galvanize a team, bring everybody back together and organization, figure out what departments, what they need, how I can help them do their job. What suggestions, what ideas, what do they want to do? Maybe they have been able to communicate with somebody about things that they would like to do. And I want to be able to help them.

Butch: For those of us who are old enough, we remember the guy you were and the player you were years ago. Are you the same guy today?

Vrabel: No because I’ve grown. I understand. But there’s the foundation of that same guy, the same versatility that he had as a player. I like to think that I have that as a coach. The same knowledge. I think that that’s grown. I think my ability to communicate is probably better. My ability to teach is probably better. But you’re getting the same person, like the same person is coming just a little older, probably a little bit more wiser. And so I think that it’s important that we recognize the history but know that it’s not going to help us. Like I said, it’s just going to be a blueprint and understand how hard we have to work to get there.

Butch: Well, when I asked you about Bill in that press conference, you had a great answer, and I’m sure you’ve said it before, but you said “There are things that are interesting and the things that are important to the players. I think the fact that I played for Bill is interesting. I don’t think it’s important.” Are the glory days important? Are those banners going to be important?

Vrabel: Only just to remind them how hard you have to work to get there and that we’re so far from that right now in January that we need to focus on the little things and the behavior that’s going to help us ultimately be able to compete for that. But we’re so far, just as everybody else, unless you’re still playing, unless you’re one of the teams are still playing. Right. Like we want to continue to improve as the year goes on. It’s a long year. And how do we build a program that keeps them in condition, keeps them strong, keeps things fresh, stimulates them as the season goes on, and that we’re playing in meaningful games.

Butch: So you’re hopeful that someday you’ll get to the point where that’ll mean something?

Vrabel: Of course. And again, the idea behind it and the story for the three that I can speak on, right, like what better way to talk about a team that improved along the way than in 2001 team’s 5-5 and win 9 games after Thanksgiving. Like comprehend that. So when you when you say that it can’t be done - well it can you you know and here was the plan and the plan to win in 2001 was much different than the plan to win in 2004. So whatever you have and whatever football team you have, that’s our job as coaches, is to get the players to believe in a plan to win and that they buy in and they have ownership of it.

Butch: Mike, you once said this. “I don’t think I was a great player. I think I was an above-average player that figured it out.” What did you figure out?

Vrabel: What I needed to do and how I needed to be in condition and how I needed to be prepared and I needed to play with technique and fundamentals. And that makes you a better player. And the thing that separates two great players is how hard they play and their willingness to play with technique and fundamentals. TWo talented players. Now our job is to take average players, condition them, get them to play hard, get them play with technique, makes them above average players, above average players, the same thing to make them good. And then the good players. How do we make them be all pro and and and you show them that. And again, you got to give them one thing, two things that they believe in and that works. And you give them some ideas, some creative ideas, some small victories along the way. And that’s how you develop a player.

Butch: People say the term players coach, I think you’re a players coach and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

Vrabel: No. I mean it’s not a bad term.

Butch: Some people think what it is.

Vrabel: Well if a player’s coach means enabling them and allowing them to get away with things that don’t put the team first or behavior like we’re going to treat them the same way they treat the team. Like I don’t know what else to tell them. You treat the team like shit, excuse my language, I’m going to be hard to talk to and hopefully, you’re not here long. But if you are great to the team, you’re on time, you know what to do, you study, you’re a great teammate. You’re respectful to the people in our building. Like, come tell me whatever suggestions that you have and I’m going to listen to you and try to understand your position.

Butch:: Will you lean on your brothers? Your Founding Fathers, Tedy, Logan, all of them, Dante t like you have them come in and talk to your team?

Vrabel: Well, I mean, I think yes, you know, I mean, but I think at the beginning, you know, I think it’s important that I get going and I figure out and evaluate this staff. And I meet with Elliot and his staff. But there’ll be a time for all of that. You know, I mean, those players are deeply rooted in this thing. But I also, you know, there’s things that I have to do before, you know, we get to that and there’s a time and a place for that because they’re there. They’re great friends and still communicate with them. But also there’s a time and a place for that.

Butch:: You’re excited about this now, aren’t you?

Vrabel: Of course. Who wouldn’t be? Yeah, I mean, this is, you know, again, I was that player that took free agency, not for the money, but for the opportunity. Like I always remind players like my free agent signing bonus was less than my third round salary signing bonus coming out. And I’ll never forget Bill Cowher having a conversation with me. He said, “We can pay you that. I could pay you that out of my pocket.” And jokingly he said, “But what? I can’t give you that same opportunity.” And that was his way of saying, “If it was me, I’d go take this opportunity to try to go start, because I can’t provide that for you right now in Pittsburgh.” And he’s been a mentor and has supported me since those days. And so I always tell players this free agency can be 1 or 2 things, right? It’s you looking for the biggest, biggest salary or contract, which is great. I mean, I’m all for it. But then after that, once you get past that, then it’s about what’s the best opportunity for then the next pathway to the next opportunity.

Butch: Boston sports fans are spoiled. What is your message to Patriots fans?

Vrabel: That we’re always going to have high expectations, right? But we want you to be proud of the effort that the style of football that we play that’s based on the effort and the finish of our players, do they improve along the way? Do they believe and they buy in to what we’re trying to teach in the plan to victory. And that’s there’s something that they can be proud of the brand, the physicality. They’re not beating themselves. Like not doing dumb stuff that hurts the team on the field that we’re representing the Patriots in this organization off the field that we’re involved in our community. Like, that’s what I want our fans to embrace. And when we do that and we play that way, then they’re going to believe in what we’re doing and what we’re teaching and that it makes like that. There’s just a program that everybody can be proud of.

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