After six seasons in Nashville, head coach Mike Vrabel was let go by the Tennessee Titans, the organisation announced on Tuesday.
Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk released a statement saying, “As the NFL continues to innovate and evolve, I believe the teams best positioned for sustained success will be those who empower an aligned and collaborative team across all football functions.” “In order to carry out that goal, we started a change in our philosophy of football leadership last year and made a number of personnel adjustments. My assessment of our team’s condition led me to the conclusion that a new coaching staff would bring new ideas and perspectives to the table.
The 48-year-old Vrabel’s 6-11 record at the end of the 2023 season was his lowest total while playing for the Titans. Tennessee finished with a losing record and was not invited to the postseason for the second year in a row.
In his four seasons as the Titans’ coach, the former New England Patriots linebacker who won a Super Bowl experienced great success. Between 2018 and 2021, he had a regular season record of 41–24 and a postseason record of 2-3. However, Vrabel left after two seasons with a 13-21 record.
The Titans’ offence has deteriorated over the last two seasons, finishing close to the bottom of the league in terms of scores and yards. Tennessee’s starting quarterbacks over the past two seasons have been Ryan Tahilnnel, Malik Willis, and Will Levis.
Derrick Henry, an All-Pro running back, expressed his disbelief at hearing the news to The Athletic.
“Coach Vrabel is a man-leader. Henry praised him as an excellent coach and teacher. “I’m confident he’ll have another chance soon. I’m excited about it.
The team is now hiring its sixth head coach following its relocation from Houston to Tennessee.As the Titans’ first-ever head coach in 2018, Vrabel made an immediate impression. The following season, he led the team to the AFC title game and won the AFC South. In 2021, he was named NFL Coach of the Year after leading the team to the AFC’s No. 1 seed despite having the highest player roster in NFL history due to injuries. He has found success by combining a brutally honest approach with a willingness to listen and collaborate with his players. However, he bears some of the credit for the Titans roster’s sharp downturn over the last two seasons and several of his staff appointments have been subpar. For the first time this season, the crowd began to turn against him.The Titans’ top priority right now is to find a coach who can work well with Levis and help him improve. Levis, a second-round selection out of Kentucky, demonstrated this season that he is the guy going forward and appeared to gain from the guidance of quarterbacks coach Charles London and offensive coordinator Tim Kelly. Although quarterback growth usually doesn’t match well with coaching changes, Levis has only been in the league for a year. The obvious link in this situation is Bobby Slowik, the offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans. Slowik formerly worked for Titans general manager Ran Carthon in San Francisco and has shown promise in his one season with rookie quarterback CJ Stroud. – Rexrode
