History gives us an indication where the Titans should go for a head coach

There were plenty of questions coming into this season for the Tennessee Titans. One of those questions was whether Brian Callahan would be the coach to lead the Titans past this season. The answer to that one was given after Tennessee’s Week 6 20-10 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Callahan was dismissed the following week, and senior offensive assistant Mike McCoy was named the interim head coach. McCoy is not the name many expect to be named as the new head coach after the season, so the question is, who will be the new head coach?

If history tells us anything, they should not go for an offensive coach. Since 1999, the Titans have hired four offensive head coaches. Mike Munchak, Ken Whisenhunt, Mike Mularkey and Brian Callahan have a combined record of 49-86. Munchak could not get the Titans to perform consistently during his tenure and Mularkey was able to get the Titans to the playoffs, but the offense was inconsistent under him and the Titans dismissed him even after a playoff win.  With Whisenhunt, he was deemed an offensive head coach who could make the Titans better, but he never adapted his offensive schemes to the players he had and the Titans’ offense was not very good. And finally, with Callahan, the offensive growth, along with consistency, just was not there. All four offensive head coaches were not necessarily great at their specialty, and they paid for it with their jobs.

Consequently, the best head coaches the Titans have had since their first game in Nashville in 1999 have been defensive-minded. Jeff Fisher and Mike Vrabel have a combined record of 154-127. Both generally got the most out of their teams and were the longest-tenured coaches over the last 26 years. Even though they were deemed defensive coaches, they adapted to the talent they had for the most part. And it was their adaptability that made them successful as head coaches in Nashville. Unfortunately, both left the franchise in tough situations. Fisher, because of his rumored tumultuous relationship with quarterback Vince Young and Mike Vrabel, reportedly wanted more control in the organization. However, the fact remains that both took the Titans to great heights during their tenures with Tennessee.

If this is any indication, a defensive-minded head coach could be the move for Tennessee. If they are to go this direction, though, they do need to bring in a talented offensive coordinator with a track record of success to help continue developing quarterback Cam Ward and mold him into the star the Titans organization believes he can be. Where the Titans go, no one knows. But history definitely tells they’ve fared better with a defensive-minded head coach.