Patriots' HC Search Pales in Comparison to Jaguars' Process
The Jacksonville Jaguars won't be the first team to hire a new coach this cycle, but a head coach search is rarely a situation where first to the draw wins.
The New England Patriots officially set the tone for the rest of the 2025 coaching cycle on Sunday, agreeing to terms with former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel just seven days after the firing of Jerod Mayo.
In doing so, the Patriots got their guy -- a strong, competent coach who has seen regular-season and postseason success. Vrabel had his glory days with the Patriots as a player and is already beloved by owner Robert Kraft and the fan base.
Vrabel is far from a poor hire; in fact, he is likely one of the best hires the Patriots could have made. But that doesn't mean they didn't have a severely flawed process to get them to that point, a process that pales in comparison to what the Jaguars have done so far.
In their search for Mayo's replacement, the Patriots talked to just four coaches -- Vrabel, Ben Johnson, Byron Leftwich, and Pep Hamilton. The latter of the two have not coached in the NFL since the 2022 season, while Detroit Lions defensive coordinator declined an interview with the Patriots.
In short, the Patriots only really gave two people a real shot at the job. And in the grand scheme of things, it never seemed like the Patriots were willing to wait for Johnson's season with the Lions to end.
Sure the Patriots got their guy, but they did no soul searching or fact finding in the process. A key part about coaching searches isn't just to find the next head coach, but also to get outside voices to diagnose where things have gone wrong and where the franchise must go from here.
The Patriots didn't hear those voices, though. They were always going to hire Vrabel, and they speed ran a coaching search in the process.
The Jaguars in comparison have cast a wide net for their next head coach, with interviews with up to 10 candidates lined up. In that group they have former head coaches, hot-shot coordinators on the rise, and a healthy mix of offensive and defensive coaches.
It is only natural if the Jaguars went into the process with a candidate already in mind, but they have yet to let this cloud their process the way the Patriots have.
Only time will tell which team will make the best hire. But for now, the Jaguars can at least take solace that they are doing things the right way, regardless of the result.
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