Everything we know about the New England Patriots head coach search
FOXBORO -- The New England Patriots are moving fast to fill their head-coaching vacancy, with a few interviews already complete and more scheduled for the coming days. Mike Vrabel remains the favorite to land the job, and he'll be back in Foxboro this week.
The Patriots will have a new head coach for the third straight season in 2025 after firing Jerod Mayo on Sunday at the conclusion of a 4-13 season -- his only year on the job. Now Robert Kraft and the Patriots brass are looking for someone else to come in and restore order in New England.
Mike Vrabel will interview with Patriots on Thursday
A three-time Super Bowl champ and Patriots Hall of Famer as a player, Vrabel is the top candidate to take over in Foxboro. He'll officially interview with New England on Thursday, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.
Vrabel spent six years as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018-23, and guided the team to a 54-45 record and three playoff berths. That included a run to the AFC Championship Game in 2019.
Vrabel recently told The Athletic what he's looking for in his next opportunity:
"There's got to be clear communication with ownership, so that we understand as coaches what the expectations are," Vrabel said. "That's so we can explain to them what's reasonable, what we can do, what we probably can do and what we're going to try to do — or die trying. I want to have a structure in place that people see the game the same way I do from an X's and O's standpoint, from a personnel standpoint, with team-building. We would hopefully have that alignment, which is critical.
"And I would like to be able to say that there's a quarterback that you feel like you can win with — or that there's a path to find the one that you can win with."
Vrabel has a good relationship with Kraft, so that should handle the ownership part, and Drake Maye provides a lot of hope at the quarterback position. Eliot Wolf remains in charge of the front office in Foxboro, but that could change if he doesn't share the same vision as Vrabel or the next head coach.
While the Patriots are hot on Vrabel, he's a popular man this offseason. He interviewed with the New York Jets last week and will chat with the Chicago Bears on Wednesday. The Las Vegas Raiders (and minority owner Tom Brady) and New Orleans Saints could enter the mix too -- if the Patriots even let Vrabel leave the building on Thursday.
Patriots will interview Ben Johnson on Friday
New England will also interview the other top head-coaching candidate this offseason: Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The Lions are on their postseason bye week, so Johnson can interview with teams virtually.
He'll have his interview with the Patriots on Friday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Bears have also requested an interview with Johnson, and he'll talk with both Chicago and New England, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Even if the Patriots don't end up hiring Johnson, they should absolutely pick his brain about his vision for the franchise.
Patriots request interview with Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn
Johnson isn't the only Lions coordinator the Patriots want to speak with. New England submitted a request to interview with Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn on Wednesday, according to NFL Insider Albert Breer.
Glenn has been Detroit's defensive coordinator for the last three seasons and has overseen the Lions' rise to being a Top 10 NFL defense. He has been coaching in the NFL since 2014, with stints for the Cleveland Browns (2014-15) and the New Orleans Saints (2016-20).
Glenn enjoyed a 15-year playing career with the New York Jets, Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New Orleans Saints. He made three Pro Bowls as a player, and played for former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick when he was the defensive coordinator with the Jets.
Patriots have interviewed Byron Leftwich, Pep Hamilton
The Patriots interviewed two candidates on Tuesday: Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamiton. Both have been out of the NFL since 2022, but have an offensive mindset.
Leftwich last served as the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2019 to 2022. He won a Super Bowl with the Bucs and Brady in 2020.
Hamilton was the OC of the Houston Texans in 2022 and has a lengthy career in the NFL and college game. He also worked with Patriots quarterback Joe Milton ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Both candidates are longshots to get the job, but they could potentially be hired for different positions. In talking with Leftwich and Hamilton, the Patriots have fulfilled the Rooney Rule, which was adopted in 2003 and requires teams to interview at least two external minority candidates.
The Patriots are now clear to hire anyone at any point.
Brian Flores would be interested in the Patriots job
Former Patriots coach Brian Flores is gearing up for the playoffs as the defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings, but said Tuesday he would welcome a chance to return to New England. However, the Patriots haven't reached out yet.
"When I talk about my football journey, that's where it started. I would say, yes," Flores said Tuesday. "But at the same time, that's not up to me as to whether or not they would want to talk to me or anything like that. That's kind of my thought on that."
Flores was with the Patriots from 2008-2020 before he was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins for three seasons. With the Vikings playing Monday night in the Wild Card round, teams won't be able to interview Flores until next week at the earliest.
Who is conducting the interviews for the Patriots?
When discussing Mayo's firing on Monday, Kraft said that the interviews will be conducted by himself, Jonathan Kraft (President of the Kraft Group), VP of player personnel Eliot Wolf, and senior personnel executive Antonio Highsmith.