Forner Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel is one of the top available coaching candidates in the NFL this hiring cycle, but it sounds like there’s a chance he could have his eyes on a college football coaching job, instead.
Mike Vrabel played his college football at Ohio State from 1993 to 1996, and began his coaching career with the Buckeyes, joining the coaching staff in 2011 and remaining until 2013.
Ohio State is currently led by head coach Ryan Day. But after a fourth consecutive loss to rival Michigan and a disappointing season with one of the most talented rosters in college football, many believe that Day is on the hot seat entering a College Football Playoff matchup with the Tennessee Volunteers, even though athletic director Ross Bjork expressed confidence in Day earlier this month.
If Ohio State does decide to move on from Day, it sounds like Vrabel could be interested in the job.
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky seemed to suggest that Vrabel could be hoping to coach the Buckeyes next season.
“I think Vrabel’s spoken for,” Orlovsky said. “I just think that Vrabel’s probably got a very clear sight and path with where he is going to be likely coaching. He’ll be coaching football.”
Orlovksy was not willing to share too many details, but McAfee and his crew quickly prodded for more information, asking whether he was referring to the NFL or college football. Someone on McAfee’s crew suggested that Orlovsky was indicating Vrabel would be coaching Ohio State before McAfee and the rest of the Crew did an “O-H-I-O” cheer.
Meanwhile, Orlovsky did not confirm, but he certainly did not deny it either, as he sat there with a sly smile.
“I think that there’s a vision for where he kind of likely ends up coaching next year,” Orlovsky said. “I’m not a reporter. Listen, I’ve come on your show before, and I said I’ve heard something, and it got me in a lot of trouble, so I’m trying not to do that.”
Since these comments from Orlovsky, at least three separate Ohio State reporters have offered their own separate confirmation that Vrabel is interested in becoming the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, including one reporter who was previously adamant that Vrabel was not interested in coaching Ohio State.
Needless to say, this news led to a lot of reactions on social media.
“Ohio State is basically in a ‘holding’ pattern right now from the coaching to transfer portal. The outcome of the playoffs may determine alot. If Ryan Day loses against Tennessee, momentum will surely build with OSU financial backers pushing him out. If he wins, the opposite happens,” one fan wrote on X.
“Focused on Saturday but this is getting intriguing,” another fan said.
“Well… that’s interesting,” someone else added.
“Very interesting,” another person added.
“If Vrabel joins Belichick at the college level, NFL teams looking for a new HC will have lost 2 good proven options. This would be a wild turn of events,” someone else said.
“Woah woah woah,” another person wrote.
As of now, however, Ryan Day is the head coach at Ohio State and the Buckeyes are preparing to take on the Tennessee Volunteers in the College Football Playoff.
