Breer: Patriots head coach search ‘feels like a sham’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots wasted no time searching for a new head coach after firing Jerod Mayo on Sunday. They appear ready to find their replacement quickly, but the way they handled the process didn’t sit well with MMQB’s Albert Breer.
They began their search by requesting an interview with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Tuesday, they interviewed Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton for the position. Their interview with favorite Mike Vrabel is scheduled for Thursday.
In interviewing Leftwich and Hamilton, the Patriots satisfied the NFL’s Rooney Rule. The rule requires teams to interview at least two external minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operations positions.
Breer believes that for the Patriots, these interviews were conducted simply to check a box so they could cut the line of teams interested in hiring Vrabel. He ripped New England for that approach in Tuesday’s game. First edition.
“It seems like a sham. I mean, I’m going to call it what I think,” Breer said of the Patriots’ head coaching search. “Those are two guys – and all due respect to Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich – I think they would have a hard time getting a coordinator job this year. And for people who don’t know the mechanics of the rule , you have to have at least two in-person interviews with diverse candidates, and you’re not allowed to interview anyone who works for a team, playoff or otherwise… So the reason you would do that and would push two guys who don’t work for the teams right now. right now, it’s because it’s the only way to check that box so you can actually hire someone.
“It’s very clearly flouting the rule. And look, we can argue about the validity of the rule and everything else. What gives the Patriots the right to do that? They didn’t have a legitimate coaching search for 25 years Les Rooney The rule didn’t exist 25 years ago so you can say the rule sucks and maybe it does but what the hell gives you the right not to have to overcome all the obstacles that everyone had to overcome for two decades?
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NBC Sports Boston Patriots insider Phil Perry added that the Patriots would prefer to end their search by the end of the week. Breer minced no words about the franchise continuing to avoid a truly in-depth search for a new head coach.
“I think it’s total rubbish,” he said. “Like, what gives you the right to skip the process that the Raiders have to follow, that the Bears have to follow, that the Jets have to follow? Teams that are competing for him. What who gives you the right to jump? Just because you have a relationship with him? Well, the Raiders have Tom Brady and Richard Seymour there. right to pass in front of all these other teams?
“Are you afraid of losing him? Well, if you have such a strong relationship with him, you shouldn’t be afraid of losing him. You should go through the whole process like the Chargers did last year when They knew they were. They’re going to hire Jim Harbaugh, probably from the start. They still interviewed 15 candidates for head coach. They interviewed nine candidates for general manager… Again, it’s like that. put in a different situation: “We are not not subject to the rules. “that this organization, we I must note, I have had problems in the past.”
As Breer notes, the Patriots haven’t had to embark on a legitimate head coaching search since they hired Belichick in 2000. They hired Mayo a day after announcing Belichick’s departure in the winter last.
It’s no surprise that they seem to be speeding up the process in hopes of luring Vrabel. The former Patriots linebacker enjoyed some success during his first stint as head coach of the Tennessee Titans. As a player, he helped New England win three Super Bowl titles and was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2023.
That said, the Patriots will have competition for Vrabel’s services. The New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders are among the teams expected to be in the running to hire him. The Raiders fired head coach Antonio Pierce on Tuesday, leaving the door open for Vrabel to sit down with former Pats teammates Tom Brady and Richard Seymour, who became minority owners of the Vegas franchise last year.
