The New England Patriots officially hired Mike Vrabel as their next head coach on Sunday, bringing back one of the team's Hall of Famers and Super Bowl champions to lead the franchise. As Vrabel takes over for the storied franchise that has dominated 21st-century football, his former Patriots coach, Bill Belichick, has since reacted to the hiring.

While Bill Belichick's first replacement didn't work out ... "I've stayed in pretty close contact with Mike Vrabel and I have a ton of respect for him.. He's a great football coach and I'm sure he'll do a great job in New England" ~ Coach Belichick# ...

Head coach Mike Vrabel isn't interested in comparisons between himself and New England Patriots legend Bill Belichick. "I'm not Bill (Belichick)," Vrabel

Legendary New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has spoken out for the first time about Mike Vrabel's appointment as the team's new head coach-and he couldn't be more supportiv

"I love Mike. I love everything that he stands for as a football coach." Mike Vrabel was endorsed by Bill Belichick during this UNC coach's "Pat McAfee Show" appearance.

Now, with O’Brien revitalizing BC and Vrabel looking to do the same with the Patriots, the area’s most prominent football teams are led by men who bonded in Foxborough.

The band getting back together in New England. Newly hired Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel is expected to hire Josh McDaniels as his offensive coordinator, NFL Network reports. McDaniels was New England's offensive coordinator under Bill Belichick for 13 seasons across two stints and an assistant coach under Belichick for five years prior to that.

FOXBORO — Bill Belichick has already said more positive things about Mike Vrabel in his one day as the Patriots’ head coach than he did about Jerod Mayo in a full year. Vrabel was officially introduced as the Patriots head coach on Monday at Gillette Stadium. He was hired Sunday morning.

From the moment the New England Patriots fired head coach Jerod Mayo, it seemed inevitable that Mike Vrabel would step into the role. Sure enough, the Patriots announced Vrabel as the franchise’s next head coach just seven days later.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Mike Vrabel is the new head coach of the New England Patriots, replacing Jarod Mayo who was fired after one season on the job. The Patriots hope that this time they have the right man to wear the hoodie.

The New England Patriots fired head coach Jerod Mayo following a miserable 4-13 campaign. While Mayo's dismissal wasn't surprising in and of itself, the timing