During that first radio hit, Vrabel got a surprise call from an old friend, former Patriots offensive coordinator and current Boston College head coach Bill O'Brien, who called to congratulate Vrabel on his hiring.

After a brief and failed attempt to ignite a new era of New England Patriots dominance after the firing of legendary, six-time Super Bowl winning coach Bill Belichick — an attempt that ended with a dismal 4-13 record in 2024 and the firing of Belichick’s replacement,

Bill O’Brien, the former Patriots OC and current Boston College coach, had lofty praise for McDaniels during his regular appearance on WEEI this week. O’Brien shot down the criticism that McDaniels was hired because of nostalgia surrounding the glory days of Brady.