As important as offense has become in the modern NFL, the head coaching matchup in this year's Super Bowl is between a pair of defensive-minded guys named Mike.
On one side is New England's Mike Vrabel. On the other, Seattle's Mike Macdonald. While the most important thing in a game like this is that the players execute out on the field, they can only execute the game plan that's given to them, so they need a head coach who is able to put the team in a position to win. Which team has the advantage there in Super Bowl LX?
What Mike Vrabel brings as a coach
Mike Vrabel is new to being the head coach of the New England Patriots, but he's not new to being an NFL head coach. Before taking over the Patriots this season, Vrabel spent six seasons at the helm in Tennessee. While his tenure there ended with back-to-back losing seasons, Vrabel also led the Titans to consecutive double-digit win campaigns and an AFC Championship Game appearance, doing a lot with a roster that never really felt built to be a real contender.
There's a reason the Titans were universally viewed as having made a mistake when they fired Vrabel after a 6-11 finish in 2023, a season in which his starting quarterbacks were rookie Will Levis and 35-year-old Ryan Tannehill.
Season | Record |
|---|---|
2018 | 9-7 |
2019 | 9-7 |
2020 | 11-5 |
2021 | 12-5 |
2022 | 7-10 |
2023 | 6-11 |
2025 | 14-3 |
Vrabel, who was named the AP NFL Coach of the Year on Thursday night while his offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, was named Assistant Coach of the Year, brings experience and leadership into this game. He also brings something that can't be ignored: a Super Bowl pedigree as a player. Vrabel may have never been here as a head coach, but he's no stranger to this stage and knows how to win.
One thing Vrabel has proven to be very good at is delegation. He's generally not the play-caller on either side of the ball, instead trusting his assistants to make the right call. That frees Vrabel up to think more big picture. Entering 2025, Vrabel was 14-for-27 all-time on challenges, for example, which was the seventh-best mark among 2025 head coaches.
Mike Macdonald lacks experience, but has shown he's an elite head coach
Mike Macdonald has just two seasons as a head coach under his belt, but a 24-10 regular-season win/loss record should tell you plenty about how good he's been so far.
Like Vrabel, Macdonald made a smart hire at offensive coordinator, bringing in Klint Kubiak this season. Under Kubiak — who will depart following the Super Bowl to take over as the head coach of the Raiders — the Seahawks posted the league's third-best scoring offense in the regular season.
But unlike Vrabel, Macdonald is the primary defensive playcaller for this Seattle team. He's built a defense that allowed the fewest points in the NFL this season, a versatile unit that can basically do anything. Macdonald is an elite defensive mind, to the point where I wouldn't push back on anyone who calls him the best defensive mind in the game right now. He's that good, and is able to scheme up ways to get consistent pressure without sacrificing in coverage.
Rank in: | Yards Allowed | Points Allowed | Takeaways |
|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 14 | 11 | 16 |
2025 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
It will interesting to see how he adjusts against Drake Maye, who has shown an adeptness at beating zone defenses. But if there's a defensive mind in the league who's proven that you can trust them in any situation, it's Macdonald.
Which team has the coaching advantage in the Super Bowl?'
Macdonald is the better defensive mind, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's the better coach, does it?
One thing of note is that Macdonald hasn't shown some of the aggressiveness you might want to see out of a head coach for a Super Bowl team. You need to take risks to win the big one, and Seattle was last in the NFL in fourth-down attempts this season. Now, that does require some context, as the Seahawks also had the 10th-fewest third-down attempts in the league, so they weren't necessarily getting as many opportunities to go for it. Still, I definitely trust Vrabel more to take gambles in this one, which is pretty important.
Vrabel also won't have to think about calling plays in this one, since that's delegated out to his coordinators. I don't necessarily believe that you need a CEO-type coach to win the big one, obviously, as the Chiefs have proven repeatedly in recent seasons. But in this particular matchup, it provides a bit of an edge to Vrabel in terms of game management.
No offense meant to Macdonald, but New England has the coaching edge here. Yes, he provides a distinct defensive advantage, but the Patriots' offense is led by one of the NFL's best offensive coordinators anyway. That doesn't negate Seattle's edge, but it brings it close enough that we can split hairs and turn to specific game management. Simply put, Vrabel can be trusted more to make difficult decisions if the game is close. Macdonald, though, might not have to worry about it being close enough thanks to an overall edge in talent.