You can take the man out of Ohio for only so long.
The Browns have hired Mike Vrabel, the ex-Titans head coach, as a personnel consultant for the upcoming season, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, who says Vrabel spent a noticeable amount of time with Cleveland's head coach Kevin Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry during the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
The announcement comes two months after Vrabel parted ways with Tennessee after six seasons. It's a unique decision, as the coach was expected to be a top candidate for other head coaching jobs. But now that all those have been filled, it was time for something else.
Vrabel is a big boost for the Browns this offseason. Stefanski and Jim Schwartz were named 2023 Coach and Assistant Coach of the Year, respectively. Now, it's a stacked house in Cleveland.
The plan here, as it was communicated to me, is for Vrabel to act as a sounding board for Kevin Stefanski but also as a resource for a coaching staff with a lot of youth and turnover. It’s an interesting idea. https://t.co/jbfOn1gk0R
— Robert Mays (@robertmays) March 15, 2024
Vrabel's departure from the Titans wasn't surprising after their 2023 season. They finished 6-11, last in the AFC South.
The coach's six seasons in Tennessee were bumpy. It missed the playoffs in 2018, his first season, but bounced back to make an AFC Championship appearance the next year. The upward trend continued, and in 2021 Vrabel earned NFL Coach of the Year honors after leading the Titans to their fourth-straight winning season and third-straight playoffs.
A 7-10 record in 2022 was the beginning of the end of the coach's success.
MORE: Why did the Titans fire Mike Vrabel?
Now, the Akron-native returns to his home state. Vrabel chose to play collegiately at Ohio State as a defensive end and was named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year in both his junior and senior seasons, becoming the first player to win the award twice. He was also a first-team All-American as a senior.
