Mike Vrabel is the type of coach who doesn’t go too long without a head coaching job.

His accomplishments speak for themselves: A three-time Super Bowl champion as a linebacker with the Patriots and the 2021 AP NFL Coach of the Year with the Tennessee Titans. And he had been in talks with other teams before accepting his new role with the Patriots. But at his introductory press conference at Gillette Stadium on Monday, he revealed he’d had his eyes set on coming back to New England.

“In the end, it was clear to me and my family and my soul that this was the place that I wanted to be,” he said.

Shortly after the end of a disastrous 4-13 season, the Pats fired former coach Jerod Mayo.

Now, Vrabel inherits a team with a storied past — and at the same time, pressing needs for improvement.

“The banners that hang in our stadium, they’re not gonna help us win, but I think it’s a great reminder of what it takes to win and the type of people that you have to have in the organization,” he said. “The selflessness, the work and the sacrifice that you have to make.”

On Monday, Patriots owner Robert Kraft said Vrabel showed in the interview process that he had a deep understanding of the current team.

“And most importantly, he had a clear and focused strategy of how to get us back to a championship way that is so important to all of us, but also something that I think our fan base really deserves and expects,” Kraft said.

Vrabel touched on details about working with quarterback Drake Maye, accountability and doing everything he can to make his players successful.

“We’re gonna remove entitlement from our football team,” Vrabel said. “We’re gonna get everything that we’ve earned, from the head coach to the position coaches all the way down to the players. We’re gonna earn the right to be here every single day.”

Vrabel said team’s goals are simple: Win the AFC East, host playoff games and compete for championships.

It will still be many months before Vrabel takes the sidelines for the real games and trying to make those goals a reality. Between now and then, there will be the offseason traditions of the draft, training camp and preseason football.

It’s a lot to get through. But his final words at the podium indicate he’s ready to take it on.

“Time to get to work,” he said.