In the aftermath of the 2023 NFL season, as some teams geared up for the postseason, a number of head coaches found themselves out of a job, as is customary during this time of year.
While the dismissals of certain head coaches, such as Ron Rivera and Arthur Smith, were anticipated, there were a few surprising firings across the league.
Arguably the most unexpected departure came from the Tennessee Titans, who unexpectedly parted ways with Mike Vrabel. There had been speculation that Vrabel might be traded to the New England Patriots if the team decided to let go of Bill Belichick.
Ironically, the Patriots did indeed fire Belichick, but instead of pursuing Vrabel, they opted for Jerod Mayo. It appears that this was the plan all along for Robert Kraft and his associates.
With Vrabel now a free agent, it seemed likely that he would quickly find another coaching job. However, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, his physical presence seemed to intimidate people during interviews, as reported by James Foster.
“I had a General Manager at the Senior Bowl who commented on Vrabel’s physical stature. He is an imposing figure and can be quite intimidating to individuals within an organization who are involved in the decision-making process,” Russini revealed during her appearance on The Athletic Football Show.
Of all the reasons for a former player turned head coach to be passed over for a job, it is surprising that his physical appearance and the intimidation it may cause were the deciding factors.
In most coaching scenarios, this would be viewed as an advantage, with individuals like Vrabel and Dan Campbell leveraging their imposing presence to motivate players. However, it seems that this approach did not yield the desired results for the former Titans head coach this time around.