Bill Belichick gets honest on feelings toward Mike Vrabel as Patriots name 3x Super Bowl champ as HC

Mike Vrabel is getting another head coaching opportunity. After the New England Patriots fired Jerod Mayo in his only season as head coach following a 4-13 finish, the team has replaced him with another former Patriots linebacker in Vrabel.

This will be Vrabel's second head coaching stint as he was the Tennessee Titans' head coach from 2018-2023. He spent last season as a coaching and personnel consultant with the Cleveland Browns.

Appearing on his weekly appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show," former New England Patriots head coach and current UNC Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick spoke about his former player reaplcing Mayo. Belichick gave nothing but respect for Vrabel and thinks he'll exceed as their head coach.

Belichick said:

"I think Mike's done a great job certainly, his entry onto coaching is no surprise to any of us that knew him and coached him at New England. I talked to him when he was at Ohio State and then when he went to the Texans of course, Tennessee, we practiced against them and stayed in close contact with Mike.

"I have a ton of respect for Mike, I think he does a great job, he prepares his teams well, they're very good at situational football, they're tough, they're competitive, they're smart, just like he was as a player. I think the teams that he's coached and the positions he's coached follow very much in his playing style and his preparation. I love Mike, I love everything he stands for as a coach and I have a lot of respect for him, I'm sure he'll do a great job."

Mike Vrabel inherits a Patriots team with over $100 million in cap space, a young franchise QB, and a top-five pick

Drake Maye during Buffalo Bills v New England Patriots - Source: Getty

It probably wasn't a tough choice for Mike Vrabel to choose where he was going to coach next season with his options.

He won three Super Bowls with New England as a player and was a linebacker for the team from 2001-2008.

Aside from having a personal connection with New England, there's a few other things they offer to the table. They have a young franchise quarterback in last year's first-round pick in Drake Maye, who played well, despite the team's record.

The Patriots also have the most cap space as of right now heading into the offseason with around $120 million to spend, according to overthecap.com.

New England also has a top-five pick in this year's draft as they hold the No. 4 overall pick. They can draft one of the most talented players in the draft or trade back and accumulate picks.

Vrabel seems to be in decent shape heading into his first season as New England's new head coach.