The Jets have completed an interview with Mike Vrabel for the Green & White's head coaching vacancy.
Vrabel spent the 2024 NFL season as the coaching and personnel consultant of the Cleveland Browns after his six-year tenure as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans ended following the 2023 season after a 6-11 season. His contract with the Browns ended on Dec. 30.
Vrabel took over as the Titans' head coach in 2018 and after finishing that season with a 9-7 record, he led Tennessee to three straight postseason berths. During his time in Nashville, his Titans team had a 54-45 record as he oversaw the emergence players like QB Ryan Tannehill and bruising running back Derrick Henry.
In 2019, after finishing second in the AFC South with a 9-7 record and making a switch at quarterback from Marcus Mariota to Tannehill, the Titans won 7 of the final 10 games, defeated New England (the defending Super Bowl champion) and then Baltimore in the playoffs en route to facing the Chiefs (the eventual Super Bowl winners) in the AFC Championship game, losing, 35-24.
Tennessee had its best records under Vrabel, 11-5 in 2020 and 12-5 in '21, and he was named The Associated Press Coach of the Year after the 2021 season.
After his 14 seasons as a player in the NFL, Vrabel in 2011 took a job as the linebackers coach at his alma mater, Ohio State, under HC Urban Meyer. He moved back to the NFL in 2014 as Houston's linebackers coach and became the Texans' defensive coordinator in 2017.
Vrabel, 49, was born in Akron, OH, and was a standout in high school at Walsh Jesuit in Cuyahoga Falls. At OSU (1993-96) he was a star defensive end with 34 sacks combined in his sophomore, junior and senior years. He was a first team All-American in 1996 and was named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year in 1995 and '96. He was part of Ohio State's All-Century Team and was named to the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012.
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft (No. 91 overall), shifting him from defensive end to linebacker. After four seasons with the Steelers, he signed a free agent contract with the New England Patriots where he won three Super Bowls in 8 years before ending his playing career after 2 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Vrabel is the second candidate to interview for the position as the team completed an interview with former Commanders and Panthers head coach Ron Rivera Thursday.
Jets Chairman Woody Johnson is leading the searches for a head coach and general manager. He hired The 33rd Team in a support role to help identify and vet candidates in addition to coordinate interviews. Jeff Ulbrich and Phil Savage are serving as the team's interim head coach and general manager, respectively.
