Bill Belichick offers candid reaction to Patriots’ hiring of Mike Vrabel

Mike Vrabel is the second former New England Patriots player to take over his former coach’s old job.

But Bill Belichick certainly — understandably — reacted more favorably to Vrabel becoming the Patriots’ new head coach than Jerod Mayo.

Vrabel, 49, played eight seasons under Belichick as a key defensive pillar in the early part of New England’s two-decade dynasty. And after Vrabel left New England to begin his coaching career, including a six-year tenure as head coach of the Tennessee Titans, Belichick believes the former linebacker is well-equipped to lead the Patriots when he returns.

“His entry into coaching certainly came as no surprise to any of us who knew him and coached him in New England. I talked to him when he was at Ohio State, then when he went to the Texans, and then, of course, Tennessee,” Belichick said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday. “We practiced against them and stayed in pretty close contact with Mike. So, I have a lot of respect for Mike. I think he does a great job.

“He prepares his teams well, they are very good at situational football, they are tough, they are competitive, they are intelligent – ​​just like he was as a player. I think the teams he’s coached and the positions he’s coached follow a lot of his style of play and his style of preparation.

Vrabel called his relationship with Belichick “special” when he met the media Monday for his introductory press conference. But Vrabel said he wouldn’t try to emulate the style of Belichick, who helped the Patriots win six Super Bowl titles.

But it’s clear there’s a lot of respect between Vrabel and Belichick. So much so that Belichick encouraged Vrabel to excel on his old stomping grounds.

“I love Mike. I love everything he stands for as a football coach and I have a lot of respect for him,” Belichick said. “I’m sure he will do a great job.”