NFL broadcaster Charissa Thompson has claimed New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel reminds her a lot of her father following his transformation of the franchise this season
10:27 ET, 24 Nov 2025
Charissa Thompson looks on from set of the TNF on Prime pregame show prior to an NFL football game between the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on September 18, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York.
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Charissa Thompson is a fan of Mike Vrabel
NFL broadcaster Charissa Thompson believes New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel reminds her of her father.
Following back-to-back 4-13 seasons in New England, Vrabel has transformed the fortunes of the franchise this season, with the Patriots currently sitting at 10-2 following their Sunday afternoon win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
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Elsewhere, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders made headlines by guiding the Cleveland Browns to a win over the Las Vegas Raiders, while the Dallas Cowboys stunned the Philadelphia Eagles with a second-half comeback at AT&T Stadium. Vrabel, who played for the Patriots under Bill Belichick, is in his first year as New England's head coach, having been hired in the wake of Jerod Mayo's dismissal.
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With New England currently sitting top of the AFC standings and looking like a lock to make the playoffs this year, the 50-year-old is the betting favorite to win the NFL's Coach of the Year award, a feat he achieved during his time with the Tennessee Titans back in 2021.
Recently, Vrabel appeared on Amazon's 'Thursday Night Football' coverage after the Patriots Week 11 victory over the New York Jets, with the New England head coach sitting down to speak to Thompson and former NFL players, Tony Gonzalez, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andrew Whitworth and Richard Sherman.
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Clearly, the New England head coach left a mark upon Thompson, and her friend, broadcaster Erin Andrews, with the two recently singing Vrabel's praises on their 'Calm Down' podcast.
"Mike Vrabel for anyone that doesn't know much about him, he was a no-b------- player, no b------- when he was in the NFL, even in college, and he’s a no-b------- coach. And I love him because he’s to the point," said Andrews of Vrabel's appearance on the TNF set.
Head coach Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
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Mike Vrabel has overseen a transformation in the fortunes of the New England Patriots(Image: Getty)
"He doesn’t candy coat anything. He's my kind of guy. I love coach Vrabel.
"When I saw him go on this set, I loved him even more for that. When he was on the set, you [Thompson] thanked him.
"And he said you guys do a really good job, and I texted Charissa and I said 'he wouldn't have come on that set and he wouldn't have said that if he didn’t mean it.' And I said, that's a huge credit to you as a host and your show."
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That then prompted Thompson to reply: "You know what — who he reminds me of? He reminds me a lot of my dad … He is a man’s man ... he is a ‘let’s chop wood with our bare hands’ kind of guy because they are just dudes."
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New England returns to action next week on Monday Night Football when they will face off against the New York Giants.