While it's not a head-coaching job, Mike Vrabel has found a role with an NFL club for the 2024 season. The former Tennessee Titans head coach will serve as the Cleveland Browns' coaching and personnel consultant for the upcoming season, CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones confirms.
Vrabel has strong ties to the Buckeye State. He was born and raised in the Akron area and played college football at Ohio State prior to being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1997. Vrabel coached linebackers and defensive line at Ohio State from 2011-13.
Vrabel will join a Browns coaching staff led by Kevin Stefanski, who is entering his fifth season as the team's head coach. Cleveland is coming off an 11-6 season that ended with a loss to the Houston Texans on Super Wild Card Weekend.
Vrabel was let go by the Titans in January following a 6-11 season in 2023. While his tenure in Nashville ended on a sour note, most of Vrabel's six-year run with the Titans was largely positive.
Tennessee went 9-7 in Vrabel's first two seasons and made the playoffs during his second year with the team. The 2019 Titans shocked Tom Brady and the Patriots in the wild card round before upsetting Lamar Jackson and the top-seeded Ravens the following week to earn a spot in the AFC Championship game. Tennessee ultimately fell in that game to Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the eventual champion Chiefs.
The Titans won 23 regular-season games over the next two years that included a 12-5 mark in 2021. Vrabel was named Coach of the Year that season as the Titans overcame several notable injuries.
Tennessee went 0-2 in the playoffs over that span, however, and didn't quality for the postseason in 2022 after going 7-10. The Titans' downward slide continued in 2023, which ultimately resulted in Vrabel's exit.
Vrabel's only other NFL coaching experience came with the Houston Texans. He served as the team's linebackers coach from 2014-16 and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2017.
Vrabel is the latest former head coach to accept a noticeably smaller role shortly thereafter. In 2022, former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores accepted an assistant position with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was named as the Minnesota Vikings' defensive coordinator a year later after having success during his lone year on Pittsburgh's staff.
Vrabel is surely hoping that his time in Cleveland helps him land a better opportunity some time in the near future.
