Family first: Patriots coaches reveal why they followed Mike Vrabel from Tennessee

FOXBOROUGH – Standing in the doorway of his young assistant’s office, Mike Vrabel threatened to call Ashton Grant’s wife.

Grant had been going over his offseason day’s work, when the Patriots head coach stopped by.

Vrabel told Grant to leave. Accustomed to the long hours expected of younger coaches, Grant thought Vrabel was kidding. The Patriots were in the offseason, but there was work to be done.

That’s when Vrabel threatened to call his wife.

“I was a little shocked. I thought he was joking,” said Grant, who has a 2-year-old daughter and a second child on the way. “He was like, ‘No, Ashton, go home before I call your wife and tell her to come pick you up.’ I said, ‘All right, cool.’”

A veteran coach of 15 seasons after playing 14 NFL seasons, Vrabel understands the importance