HOUSTON – Houston Texans linebackers coach Mike Vrabel is interviewing with the San Francisco 49ers for their defensive coordinator position, according to reports from Bleacher Report and CSNBayArea.
Vrabel joined the Texans staff in 2014 as linebackers coach, part of head coach Bill O'Brien's original staff. Vrabel came to the Texans after spending three years coaching the defensive line and linebackers at Ohio State, his alma mater.
Vrabel retired from the NFL after the 2010 season to begin his coaching career, but has just two years of NFL coaching experience. During his 14-year playing career, he played for Romeo Crennel and has worked under Crennel, the Texans' defensive coordinator, for the past two seasons.
Throughout the 2015 season, O'Brien praised the work of Vrabel in talking about the improvement of fourth-year linebacker Whitney Mercilus, who had 12 sacks during the season and three more in the playoff game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.
San Francisco hired Chip Kelly as its new head coach on Jan. 14, and he has already interviewed Eric Mangini for the same position. Mangini was the 49ers' defensive coordinator for the 2015 season under now-fired 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula.
Mangini was the defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots in 2005 and was on the Patriots defensive staff since 2000. Interestingly, Vrabel played for Mangini in New England from 2001-2005.
Mangini also served as head coach for both the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns from 2006-2010.