This Candidate Reportedly ‘Heavy Favorite’ To Become Patriots Coach

It sounds like the Patriots are on the cusp of giving head coach duties to a former New England standout for the second time in as many years.

The Patriots’ initial Bill Belichick succession plan was a seismic failure, as Jerod Mayo only lasted one season at the helm in Foxboro, Mass. New England immediately got to work on replacing Mayo and is slated to hold two significant interviews before the start of the weekend.

One of those interviews, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, very well could produce the Patriots’ next head coach.

“New England has just five candidates scheduled, with Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich having spoken with the team Tuesday and (Mike) Vrabel scheduled for Thursday,” Fowler wrote in a column published Thursday. “Vrabel is indeed the heavy favorite from all that I’m hearing, as he fits the mold when it comes to organization, player development and leadership.”

Vrabel was hailed as the likeliest candidate to land the job once it was vacated by Mayo early Sunday evening. And Vrabel, who helped the Patriots win their first three Super Bowls in franchise history, reportedly has been interested in the gig for quite a while.

As Fowler outlined, New England hiring the ex-linebacker would make a lot of sense in a variety of ways. However, it still would be in Robert Kraft’s best interest to conduct an earnest wide-ranging search before he puts out an offer.