Atlanta Falcons complete in-person interview with Mike Vrabel for head coaching vacancy

The Atlanta Falcons announced Wednesday they’ve completed an in-person interview with Mike Vrabel for their head coaching vacancy.

Vrabel, 48, previously interviewed with the Los Angeles Chargers last Thursday following his firing from the Tennessee Titans. The Chargers filled their head coaching vacancy Wednesday, hiring Jim Harbaugh. Vrabel spent the last six seasons in Tennessee, guiding the team to a 53-45 record and three playoff appearances. Over the last two seasons, however, the Titans went 13-21 and lost 18 of their last 24 games. Tennessee parted ways with Vrabel after a 6-11 season in 2023.

Prior to landing in Tennessee, Vrabel spent three seasons as linebackers coach and one season as defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans (2014-17). The former Ohio State standout also spent three seasons on the Buckeyes’ coaching staff (2011-13).

Vrabel is the 14th candidate to have interviewed for the Falcons’ head coaching vacancy. Atlanta also completed an in-person interview with Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero Wednesday.

Mike Vrabel picking up steam in Atlanta

Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was thought to be the leader in the clubhouse, completing two interviews with the Falcons last week. According to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, the push to agree on a contract between the two has “lost momentum in the past week.”

From the reports following the second interview, the only thing that needed to be done was for both parties to sign on the dotted line. However, there are some issues preventing that from happening. Per sports personality Bill Simmons, that issue is a divide between team owner Arthur Blank and the rest of the organization on hiring Belichick.

“Basically, Arthur Blank wants to hire Bill Belichick, and all the front office people in Atlanta don’t want to hire Belichick,” Simmons said on The Bill Simmons Podcast. “… Sport franchises are like microcosms of all big companies. The people that run the franchise, they just want to keep their jobs, they’re in job preservation mode.”

For now, Atlanta’s search for a new head coach is wide open and doesn’t have a timetable, exactly what Blank said after he fired Arthur Smith following the end of the season.

“I also want to be clear on this: There is no timetable,” Blank said of a potential timetable. “The only timetable is to do this correctly. We’ll take our time. Be thoughtful, do all of the interviews, be respectful. Make sure we have a full diverse set of candidates that we’re considering in every way. And give each and every one of them an opportunity to express their vision for our football team, for our franchise, for the roster, where we are and where we expect to go.

“We’ll take as much time as we need to do that and do it correctly.”