Mike Vrabel has had a wild last couple of seasons, going from Titans head coach to a year with the Browns and now steering the New England Patriots back toward relevance. In his most recent outing, a 31-6 beatdown of the Dolphins, Vrabel’s defense looked nasty, and rookie QB Drake Maye even handed him the game ball in the locker room as the team rallied around their new leader. While Pats fans are locked in on what Vrabel’s building on the field, plenty of people are just as curious about the woman who’s been there through every twist of his NFL journey, his wife, Jen. From college sweetheart to steady rock through decades of football chaos, Jen Vrabel has been a huge part of the story behind the headset.

Who is Mike Vrabel’s wife, Jen Vrabel?

Mike Vrabel’s wife is Jennifer “Jen” Boleyn Vrabel, a former Ohio State volleyball standout who turned into the coach’s lifelong teammate off the field. Public records and profiles list her as Jennifer Vrabel (née Boleyn), and she grew up in the Midwest before landing at Ohio State University in the early 1990s. She attended Wahlert High School in Dubuque, Iowa, where she was a multi-sport athlete before heading to Columbus.

At Ohio State, Jen played volleyball and became one of the program’s assist leaders while majoring in dental hygiene. She eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene from Ohio State, finishing school the year after Mike was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1997. So while he was chasing quarterbacks, she was grinding through classes, labs, and road trips to Steelers games—very on-brand for a football family hustle.

How did Mike Vrabel meet his wife?

Mike and Jen’s love story started the old-school way: in class at Ohio State. According to multiple profiles, Jen noticed Mike first and actually got his number from their professor, a power move that OSU fans still love to bring up. At the time, Mike was starring on the Buckeyes’ defensive line while Jen was running the volleyball court, so they understood each other’s grind right away.

They started dating in college, stayed together as Mike went to the Steelers in 1997, and got engaged in 1998 while still calling Columbus home. Jen finished her degree, then the couple married in 1999, just as Mike’s NFL career was taking off. Early on, she worked as a dental hygienist/dental assistant before eventually focusing more on raising their family and riding the wave of Mike’s stops in Pittsburgh, New England, Kansas City, Tennessee, Cleveland, and now New England again. As one feature summed it up, she’s been “the steady force behind one of football’s most respected coaches.”

Mike Vrabel’s and Jen Vrabel’s Relationship

Mike and Jen Vrabel’s relationship is very much a “we’re in this together” kind of story. When Mike was in Pittsburgh early on, Jen would drive from Columbus to Steelers home games on weekends, juggling classes and long road trips just to be there. As his playing and coaching career exploded, they kept home base solid, even building a custom home in the Forest Hills area of Nashville during his Titans years.

They celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in 2024 with a 10-day trip to Italy, which one profile called his “first true vacation… maybe ever,” a nod to how football-heavy their life usually is. Jen has joked in interviews that Fridays are their night as a family: “Fridays are always our nights… He’s usually home earlier, and we grab dinner… we cherish that.” On social media, she pops up occasionally in family pics and celebration posts, quiet, low-key, but clearly the emotional center of the Vrabel crew. Fans see Mike barking on the sideline; Jen sees the dad and husband the rest of the week.

What does Jen Vrabel do for a living?

These days, not much is publicly documented about what Jen Vrabel does for a living, and that’s kind of by design. We know she trained and worked as a dental hygienist/dental assistant after getting her degree from Ohio State, but once the kids came along and Mike’s career took off, she shifted into more of a behind-the-scenes family role. Most recent profiles describe her as a former college athlete and supportive spouse rather than tying her to a specific current job title.

She’s not pushing a brand, podcast, or influencer lane the way some NFL spouses do, and her social media presence is fairly quiet and private. So while she clearly stays busy managing family, moves, and appearances, there’s no public confirmation of a current full-time profession—just that she’s the one keeping the Vrabel household running while Mike lives in the film room.

Do Mike Vrabel and Jen Vrabel have Kids?

Yes, Mike and Jen Vrabel have two sons together, and both are athletes themselves. Their older son, Tyler Vrabel, is an offensive lineman who played college ball at Boston College and has spent time in the NFL, continuing the family’s football tradition. Their younger son, Carter Vrabel, went the baseball route and has played at the college level, giving the Vrabels a legit two-sport household.

Jen and Mike have spoken about how important family time is, especially with the craziness of NFL schedules. That’s where Jen’s famous “Fridays are always our nights” quote comes in, showing how they protect that little window of normalcy in a life that is anything but normal. From youth games to college commitments, she’s been on the sidelines for their boys the same way she’s been on the sidelines for Mike for nearly three decades.

What are Jen Vrabel’s social media handles?

Jen Vrabel keeps things pretty low-key online. On Instagram, there’s a private account under @jenvrabel1, which multiple outlets have identified as her profile, locked down, family-focused, and not chasing followers.

As for Facebook and Twitter/X, there’s no widely verified public account where she posts regularly about football or family. That fits her overall vibe, present in Mike’s career and family life, but not trying to turn it into a personal brand. If you’re hoping for constant behind-the-scenes content from the Vrabel home, you’re probably going to be disappointed.

With Mike Vrabel now leading the Patriots and coming off that statement win over Miami, all eyes are on how New England responds in their next matchup against the Browns, the team he once helped as a consultant. Expect Jen to be in the background the way she always is, supporting quietly while her husband dives into game plans and tries to bottle that defensive dominance for another week. As Pats fans pack Gillette, the Vrabels’ long-running partnership will again be part of the story, even if you only catch glimpses of it in quick TV cutaways and family photos shared after another hard-fought Sunday.