Mike Vrabel was the top coach on the hiring circuit. He was also the best fit for the Patriots given their current state.
So it came as no surprise the team moved so quickly to close the deal, and land the prize.
Vrabel takes over for the recently fired Jerod Mayo, who was canned after just one season at the helm.
The 4-13 record under Mayo wasn't a disappointment, per se. His firing was more about how there had been no progression during the season, and no signs the Patriots were headed in the right direction.
It was bound for failure given Mayo was a first-year coach learning on the job with a bad roster. Now, the Patriots are going to rely on the more-experienced Vrabel, who at the very least, will produce improved results given he's one of the better in-game coaches in the league.
The Patriots also interviewed Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, and former Houston OC Pep Hamilton.
Vrabel, a Patriots Hall of Famer, was the object of Robert Kraft's affection all along.
"In the interview process, Mike showed us that he had a very deep understanding of our current team," Kraft said, "and most importantly, he had a clear and focused strategy of how to get us back to the championship way that is not only so important to all of us, but also something that I think our fan base really deserves and expects."
Vrabel had spent last season as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns after being fired from his previous head coaching gig with the Tennessee Titans. During his introductory press conference, he outlined a clear plan on how to bring the Patriots back to prominence.
"I want to galvanize our football team. I want to galvanize this building. I want to galvanize our fans," he said. "The most important thing are the players ... I want to provide a program that provides their ownership but also their accountability of each other and one that they'll be proud to be a part of and that they're going to fight for.
"One thing I realized about culture is you can find out what your culture looks like when your family, your business, or your team is at its low point. It's not when you're winning Super Bowls. It's not when you're 7-1 or 10-1, then everybody's waving towels and everybody's happy and they're excited to come to work. But when you get hit in the mouth or you're down or the chips are against you, then you can take a snapshot of what your company or your team looks like, and then you'll find out what kind of culture you have.
"But that culture is going to be built on winning, a competitive spirit throughout our roster and throughout our players and throughout our coaches and our staff and the ability to put the team first and care about somebody other than yourself. I'm excited to do that. I'm excited to get to work."
Here are some links from the week …
7 Patriots takeaways from Mike Vrabel introduction
Under Mike Vrabel, Patriots aren’t trying to reboot the dynasty | Matt Vautour
Mike Vrabel could motivate a rock, but Patriots coach alone isn’t enough | Karen Guregian
How Mike Vrabel plans to help Patriots QB Drake Maye
Mike Vrabel outlines 3 things he wants from Patriots players, coaches
Mike Vrabel’s availability gave Robert Kraft, Patriots a huge mulligan | Matt Vautour
Mike Vrabel the best choice to resurrect Patriots | Karen Guregian
Three-time Super Bowl winning coach has unique perspective on Mike Vrabel
