HEADLINES

Vin Marino

Titans CEO On GM Search, Coaching Search

January 4th, 2016 at 3:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest on the Titans as they seek a new GM to replace Ruston Webster and examine their head coaching job, which may or may not be filled by interim coach Mike Mularkey:

  • Titans CEO Steve Underwood says that over a dozen candidates – names people “would know” – have asked about interviewing for the team’s GM job, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com tweets. He added that the club has multiple in-house candidates for both the team’s coaching gig and the GM vacancy (link).
  • Underwood says the Titans will not consider a head coach/GM in one role, a la Chip Kelly (Twitter link via Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com).
  • Underwood said he has 14 GM finalists but he may not interview all of them, McCormick tweets.
  • The CEO said there were 155 coaching candidates after Ken Whisenhunt was fired and he’s trimming that list down now (link).
  • The CEO said that Amy Adams Strunk and Kenneth Adams will join him in the interview process, along with Vin Marino, Jim Wyatt of The Tenneseean tweets.
  • The team has never been for sale and is not for sale now, Underwood claims (link).

Titans Part Ways With GM Ruston Webster

January 4th, 2016 at 11:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Titans will not renew the contract of general manager Ruston Webster, the team announced today in a press release. Tennessee will begin conducting searches for a new GM as well as a head coach, according to the team. Interim head coach Mike Mularkey will be among the candidates considered for the coaching vacancy, and will get an interview as part of the search process.

While Webster is no longer in the mix, and Mularkey’s future with the organization is uncertain, the Titans announced that Steve Underwood will serve as the club’s president and CEO on a permanent basis, with the interim tag removed from his title.

“Today, I am glad to announce that Steve Underwood will be continuing in his role as our president and chief executive officer on a permanent basis,” said Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk in a statement. “I have had ongoing discussions with Steve on this issue for a while, and I feel his leadership is vital in order to move us forward. He has brought much-needed stability to our organization, and I look forward to progress that will be made under his leadership.”

Underwood will be leading the Titans’ dual searches for a GM and a head coach, while vice president of football administration Vin Marino will oversee the team’s football operations until a permanent GM is hired.

According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links), Titans college director Blake Beddingfield is worth keeping an eye on, since he’s highly regarded within the organization, and took on an increased role when Lake Dawson was let go. Breer adds that Buccaneers executive Jon Robinson, a Tennessee native, may also be a candidate for the Titans’ GM role.

As for Mularkey, multiple reports earlier today hinted that he may receive stronger consideration for the permanent head coaching position than initially expected. However, if the Titans decide to hire a general manager first, particularly one from outside the organization, that new GM may want to bring in his own head coach rather than sticking with Mularkey.