Vrabel seems to be favoring familiarity as he fills out the offices at One Patriot Place. New England’s new head coach already brought in a longtime colleague to join the team’s slate of executives, and both coordinator vacancies very well could be filled by coaches who worked with or alongside Vrabel in the past.
The same goes for other roles that, while not surrounded by as much fanfare, are very important to team success.
“Sources around the NFL expect Vrabel to bring Frank Piraino, his former strength coach in Tennessee, to New England to achieve that (conditioning) goal,” ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote in a column published Sunday. “Piraino, who knows the area well from his time at Boston College, spent last season with the Giants.
“And just as Bill Belichick had football research director Ernie Adams to assist him with game management, Vrabel had John Streicher in that role with the Titans. Now, Streicher is expected to follow Vrabel to New England. Streicher, who like Vrabel is an Ohio State alum, spent the 2024 season with the Rams.”
When Vrabel took the podium for the first time as Patriots coach, it was apparent that he had a clear vision for how he was going to try to turn things around in Foxboro, Mass. Parts of that plan surely included coaches and assistants, who are about to enter a challenging but potentially rewarding situation in New England.
