Just five years ago, Mike Vrabel was on head coach Urban Meyer’s staff, coaching Ohio State’s defensive line. On Saturday, the Tennessee Titans named him their latest head coach, replacing Mike Mularkey, who was fired five days prior.
This will be his first head-coaching job at any level. Vrabel spent the past four seasons on the Houston Texas’ staff. He was the team’s defensive coordinator last season and coached Houston’s linebackers the three prior seasons.
Before heading to the NFL, Vrabel was hired by Ohio State to coach linebackers in 2011. Then, when Meyer was hired in December 2011, Vrabel remained on the staff, but switched responsibilities and became the defensive line coach.
This was not his first time as a Buckeye. Vrabel played defensive end for Ohio State from 1993 to 1996. He was named Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year his final two seasons and earned first-team All-American honors for his 48-tackle, nine-sack senior year. He was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.
Vrabel went on to be picked in the third round of the draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers and play 14 season in the NFL, the majority of which he spent as a New England Patriot. He won three Super Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro member in 2007. Vrabel, who played linebacker in the NFL, collected 704 tackles, 57 sacks, 17 forced fumbles and 11 interceptions during his career. He also had 10 catches, all of which went for touchdowns.
