Vrabel wins COY over Macdonald ahead of Super Bowl LX

Mike Vrabel was named Coach of the Year on Thursday at the NFL Honors ceremony, recognizing his leadership in guiding the New England Patriots to a remarkable turnaround in his first year with the team.

Vrabel edged out other finalists for the award, including Mike Macdonald of the Seattle Seahawks, Liam Coen of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers, and Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears.

Coach First-place votes Points
Mike Vrabel 19 302
Liam Coen 16 239
Mike Macdonald 8 191
Ben Johnson 1 145
Kyle Shanahan 6 140
The Patriots swept both coaching awards, with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels also claiming the top assistant honor earlier Thursday.

This marks the second Coach of the Year award for Vrabel, who also claimed it in 2021 as the Tennessee Titans’ sideline boss. The 50-year-old joined the Patriots in 2025, helping them improve from a 4-13 record in 2024 to an impressive 14-3 campaign. Before Vrabel’s arrival, New England hadn’t won 10 or more games since 2021 under Bill Belichick.

Coen, Macdonald, Shanahan, and Johnson also orchestrated notable turnarounds on their teams in 2025.

The Jaguars, coming off a 4-13 season, won the AFC South. Macdonald’s Seahawks were the NFC’s 1-seed in their second season under the 38-year-old coach after missing the playoffs the previous year. The Bears ended a four-year postseason drought in Johnson’s first campaign in town. Meanwhile, Shanahan helped the 49ers win 12 games despite injuries to several key players throughout the season.

With a victory over the Seahawks on Sunday, Vrabel could become the first person in NFL history to win the Super Bowl as a player and coach with the same franchise. Vrabel claimed three rings with New England during his playing career.

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