49ers reportedly offer defensive coordinator job to Mike Vrabel
Back in his playing days, former Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel was known for sometimes vulturing offensive touchdowns at the goal line. Now, he may have graduated to vulturing coaching positions.
According to a report by Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN on Wednesday, the San Francisco 49ers have offered Vrabel their defensive coordinator position and are waiting to hear his answer.
49ers have offered Mike Vrabel the DC job. 49ers waiting to hear his answer per sources #49ers
— Dianna Marie Russini (@diannaESPN) January 20, 2016
This directly conflicts with earlier rumblings that the team had a “strong possibility” of retaining incumbent defensive coordinator Eric Mangini.
Vrabel, 40, currently serves as the linebackers coach of the Houston Texans. While his experience in a coaching capacity is still limited considering that he just retired as a player in 2010, Vrabel could inject some new life into a 49ers squad that fielded a bottom-of-the-barrel defense in 2015.
After all, what could be more invigorating to the Niners than Darth Vrabel himself throwing his three Super Bowl rings on the table in front of them? Well, maybe not literally.