Vrabel was the favorite from the start of the Patriots’ search, given his relationship with owner Robert Kraft, his experience, and his coaching style. The Patriots also considered Byron Leftwich, Pep Hamilton, and Ben Johnson, but ultimately landed on the clear front-runner.

Our look at some of the likely candidates to become the Patriots' next offensive and defensive coordinators includes familiar faces.

It was always Mike Vrabel. The Patriots are hiring their former Super Bowl-winning linebacker as their next head coach, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Sunday.