Mike Vrabel didn’t always have the most cordial relationship with the reporters in Nashville.
But in the wake of him being fired by the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday, one local radio host shared a heartwarming story about the 2021 NFL Coach of the Year.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), 104.5 The Zone’s Kayla Anderson revealed how Vrabel went above and beyond to support her charity efforts. According to Anderson, she asked Titans P.R. if a player would be interested in speaking at an event for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society last year, only to receive a response that the team’s head coach had volunteered to do so.
“It was so cool to see a coach do something with no incentive involved, no pay, just something out of the goodness of his heart,” wrote Anderson. “He came up to me in practice that next week and asked how the rest of the event went and if I ever heard of any other media member doing something for a great cause to let him know, he’d be there!”
Anderson, who also covered Vrabel during his time as an assistant coach at Ohio State when she worked at WBNS 10TV in Columbus, added: “There are some coaches you come across in your career that really make you better at what you do. [Former Blue Jackets coach] John Tortorella is one of those coaches, Mike Vrabel is now the other. While some might see Vrabel to have a ‘tough’ exterior (and he certainly challenged us at time), really he is a great person who TRULY cares about people.”
It’s been a day, huh? Before I get some sleep, I did want to say it was a pleasure to cover Mike Vrabel during his six years here with the #Titans …. Just one story I wanted to share about @CoachVrabel50 : pic.twitter.com/cTZg200dob
— Kayla Anderson ✨ (@KaylaAndersonTV) January 10, 2024
Especially at a time of year where we often discuss coaches as interchangeable pieces, it’s cool to hear a firsthand account that humanizes one of them. While he certainly carries himself like the former linebacker that he is, it’s clear that Vrabel has a way of connecting with people, which has been evident in the reaction to his surprise firing on Tuesday.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.