Titans Request Mike Vrabel Interview
Hours after announcing they now have a coaching vacancy, the Titans have submitted a request to interview Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Vrabel is scheduled to speak with team on Wednesday, January 17, Breer adds in another tweet.
Vrabel, whom John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter) will interview for the job, remains a finalist for the Colts’ HC post. However, Josh McDaniels is currently the frontrunner for that job despite Vrabel having made it into the final two.
Titans GM Jon Robinson and Vrabel’s Patriots tenures overlapped. The former linebacker played in New England for seven seasons during Robinson’s run as a Patriots scout or scouting director. The Titans could interview Vrabel on Jan. 28.
The 42-year-old Vrabel has only been a coordinator for one season but booked HC interviews with the Lions and Colts this year, and McClain notes (via Twitter) he’s likely to be a head coach soon.
Colts Still Favorites For Josh McDaniels?
The Titans shook up the coaching race on Monday morning by backtracking on their Mike Mularkey decision, and this could throw a wrench into the Colts’ plans for Josh McDaniels.
But it’s looking like the Colts are still the frontrunners to land the Patriots’ OC. The Titans indeed are interested in McDaniels, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets, but have “little to no shot” of landing him. Describing the Colts as “heavy favorites,” La Canfora adds (Twitter link) McDaniels and Matt Patricia‘s respective paths to Indianapolis and Detroit are still believed to be on track.
Tom Pelissero of NFL.com describes the Colts and McDaniels as having “strong mutual interest.” McDaniels and Chris Ballard share an agent. An NFL rule would allow the Titans to speak with assistant coaches whose teams are still alive in the postseason on Jan. 28, provided they previously interviewed for another team’s HC job, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (on Twitter).
Josh McDaniels Prefers Titans To Colts?
Josh McDaniels will be the next head coach of the Colts. Or maybe not. 
The Titans canned Mike Mularkey on Monday morning, opening up speculation that the Titans have their eye on another head coaching candidate. If that preferred candidate is McDaniels, then they could have a match. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (Twitter link), the belief prior to the Colts report was that McDaniels would prefer the Titans to all of the other available coaching jobs. McDaniels is high on Marcus Mariota‘s potential and also has concerns about Andrew Luck‘s health.
McDaniels may have had a verbal agreement with the Colts, but there’s nothing in writing as the Patriots’ season is still ongoing. Until then, there will be speculation surrounding a reunion between McDaniels and former Pats exec Jon Robinson,
Titans, Mike Mularkey Part Ways
So much for that extension. The Titans are parting ways with head coach Mike Mularkey, controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk announced on Monday morning: 
“I want to thank Mike Mularkey for his contributions to our franchise over his tenure with our organization. He took over our team during a low moment and together with Jon built a solid foundation for our franchise. I appreciated that Mike devoted himself to this team and the community. In fact, we did discuss extending his future with our team over the past week, but in those discussions about the direction of the team, it became evident that we saw different paths to achieve greater success. It is certainly unfortunate that we couldn’t find enough common ground. I generally believe that continuity is the best path for success, but I also view this as an important moment for our football team as we try to make that next step to sustained success on the field. Jon will begin the search immediately to identify that person.”
Just eight days ago, Strunk told fans that “Mularkey is our head coach and will be our head coach moving forward.” For one reason or another, the Titans and Mularkey are now moving in different directions. Mularkey appeared to save his job with the Titans’ opening round win over the Chiefs, but the team’s divisional round loss to the Patriots has altered the club’s plans.
Wanderlust may have also played a role here with Mularkey having his eye on another job. Meanwhile, the Titans know that several hot coaching candidates are still floating out there now that Josh McDaniels is reportedly headed to the Colts and Pat Shurmur is (possibly) in line for the Giants gig.
The Titans have been frustrated Marcus Mariota‘s development, so they’ll presumably look for a coach who can get the young QB back on the right track. McDaniels could be the best man for that task, but it’s unclear he would go back on his verbal agreement with the Colts, assuming there is one in place.
Titans Offer HC Mike Mularkey Extension
It sounds like Mike Mularkey will be sticking around Tennessee after all. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Titans have offered their head coach an extension. Mularkey was already under contract for the 2018 season, so we can assume that a new deal would keep him at the helm for several more years.
We heard last weekend that Mularkey was on the heat seat, and there were rumblings that the coach could be fired if the Titans lost in their wild card matchup against the Chiefs. Tennessee pulled off the victory, and subsequent reports indicated that Mularkey would ultimately be retained for 2018.
Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk issued a statement at the time regarding the matter:
“Our mantra all season has been to take things week by week and not get ahead of ourselves and it obviously has served us well. I regret that outside rumors gained a life of their own. No one has been a bigger supporter of Mike Mularkey than I have over the last two plus seasons. Mike and [GM] Jon [Robinson] have changed the culture of our team and organization and I am so happy we have been able to bring success on the field to our fans – winning 19 games over the last two seasons, including our first playoff win in nine years. Just to eliminate any distractions moving forward, Mike Mularkey is our head coach and will be our head coach moving forward. We still have work to be done, including this week, but I am looking forward to the journey.”
Following underwhelming stints in Buffalo and Jacksonville, Mularkey replaced Ken Whisenhunt as the Titans head coach midway through the 2015 season. He went 2-7 during the remainder of that campaign, but he’s led his team to 9-7 records over the past two seasons. The Titans beat Kansas City in their first-round matchup, but they fell to the Patriots in the divisional round last night.
Titans OT Jack Conklin Suffered Torn ACL
Titans right tackle Jack Conklin suffered a torn ACL in Tennessee’s Divisional Round loss to the Patriots, head coach Mike Mularkey announced today.
Conklin, 23, has played nearly every offensive snap for the Titans since being selected eighth overall in the 2016 draft. While Tennessee’s offensive line regressed as a unit last season, Conklin still stood out, grading as the No. 13 offensive tackle in the league, per Pro Football Focus, which gave Conklin excellent marks in both the run and pass game.
Given the recovery timeline associated with a torn ACL, Conklin may not be healthy when the 2018 regular season gets underway in September. As such, he’s potentially a candidate to be placed on the physically unable to perform list, which would mandate a minimum absence of six games.
Titans’ DeMarco Murray Ruled Out
The Titans will be without the services of DeMarco Murray when they face the Patriots on Saturday. The running back was unable to practice on Wednesday and has been ruled out for the divisional round showdown, the team announced. 
Without Murray, the Titans will once again center their running game around Derrick Henry. The 23-year-old gained 191 yards from scrimmage against the Chiefs, including 156 yards rushing and a touchdown off of 23 carries.
“That was his big coming out party,” Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan said last week. “If he runs like that, we’re going to be all right.”
If Henry does not offer up a repeat performance, it could be a rough afternoon for Tennessee. The Patriots are currently favored by 13.5 points.
2018 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Tracker
While at least six NFL teams are making head coaching changes this offseason, the number of clubs replacing offensive and/or defensive coordinators figures to be much higher than that. In addition to all those teams hiring new head coaches, who may want to bring in their own assistants, several clubs also figure to make changes on one side of the ball or the other after getting disappointing results in 2017. And, of course, the teams whose coordinators landed head coaching jobs will need to replace them.
With reports circulating on potential candidates, interview requests, and actual meetings, we’ll use the space below to keep tabs on all the latest updates on teams hiring new offensive and/or defensive coordinators. This post, which will be updated daily, can be found under the “PFR Features” menu on the right-hand side of the site.
Updated 3-6-18 (5:53pm CT)
Offensive Coordinators
Arizona Cardinals (Out: Harold Goodwin)
- Mike McCoy, former head coach (Chargers): Hired
- Darrell Bevell, offensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interviewed on 1/22
- John DeFilippo, quarterbacks coach (Eagles): Mentioned as candidate
Buffalo Bills (Out: Rick Dennison)
- Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator (Alabama): Hired
- Rob Chudzinski, offensive coordinator (Colts): Mentioned as candidate
- Mike McCoy, former offensive coordinator (Broncos): Won’t be considered
Carolina Panthers (Out: Mike Shula)
- Norv Turner, former offensive coordinator (Vikings): Hired
Chicago Bears (Out: Dowell Loggains)
- Mark Helfrich, former head coach (Oregon): Hired
Cincinnati Bengals
- Bill Lazor, interim offensive coordinator (Bengals): Retained
Cleveland Browns (vacant)
- Todd Haley, former offensive coordinator (Steelers): Hired
- Ben McAdoo, former head coach (Giants): Interviewed on 1/16
- Mike Mularkey, former head coach (Titans): Mentioned as candidate
- Sean Ryan, quarterbacks coach (Texans): Interviewed on 1/10
- Ken Zampese, former offensive coordinator (Bengals): To be interviewed?; hired as QBs coach
Denver Broncos
- Bill Musgrave, interim offensive coordinator (Broncos): Retained
Detroit Lions
- Jim Bob Cooter, offensive coordinator (Lions): Retained
Green Bay Packers (Out: Edgar Bennett)
- Joe Philbin, assistant head coach/offensive line (Colts): Hired
- Ben McAdoo, former head coach (Giants): Mentioned as candidate
- James Campen, offensive line coach (Packers): Mentioned as candidate
Indianapolis Colts (Out: Rob Chudzinski)
- Nick Sirianni, wide receivers coach (Chargers): Hired
- Darrell Bevell, former offensive coordinator (Seahawks): Viewed as top target
- Jake Peetz, quarterbacks coach (Raiders): No longer expected to be hired
Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Matt Nagy)
- Eric Bieniemy, running backs coach (Chiefs): Promoted
Miami Dolphins (Out: Clyde Christensen)
- Dowell Loggains, former offensive coordinator (Bears): Hired
Minnesota Vikings (Out: Pat Shurmur)
- John DeFilippo, quarterbacks coach (Eagles): To be hired
- Darrell Bevell, former offensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interviewed on 1/26
- Dan Campbell, tight ends coach (Saints): Interviewed on 1/30
- Ben McAdoo, former head coach (Giants): Mentioned as candidate
- Mike McCoy, former offensive coordinator (Broncos): Mentioned as candidate
- Sean Ryan, quarterbacks coach (Texans): Interviewed on 1/29
- Kevin Stefanski, quarterbacks coach (Vikings): Iinterviewed on 1/27-1/28
New York Giants (Out: Mike Sullivan)
- Mike Shula, former offensive coordinator (Panthers): To be hired
- Darrell Bevell, former offensive coordinator (Seahawks): Mentioned as candidate
- John DeFilippo, quarterbacks coach (Eagles): Mentioned as candidate
- Harold Goodwin, former offensive coordinator (Cardinals): Mentioned as candidate
- Deuce Staley, running backs coach (Eagles): Mentioned as candidate
- Kevin Stefanski, quarterbacks coach (Vikings): Denied permission to interview
New York Jets (Out: John Morton)
- Jeremy Bates, quarterbacks coach (Jets): Promoted
- Todd Haley, former offensive coordinator (Steelers): Mentioned as candidate
Oakland Raiders (Out: Todd Downing)
- Greg Olson, quarterbacks coach (Rams): Hired
- John Morton, offensive coordinator (Jets): Mentioned as candidate
Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Frank Reich)
- Mike Groh, wide receivers coach (Eagles): To be hired
- Duce Staley, running backs coach (Eagles): Interviewed on 2/19
Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Todd Haley)
- Randy Fichtner, quarterbacks coach (Steelers): Promoted
- Kirby Wilson, former running backs coach (Browns): Mentioned as candidate
Seattle Seahawks (Out: Darrell Bevell)
- Brian Schottenheimer, quarterbacks coach (Colts): Hired
- John DeFilippo, quarterbacks coach (Eagles): Seahawks had interest
- Steve Sarkisian, offensive coordinator (Falcons): Mentioned as candidate, Falcons won’t allow interview
Tennessee Titans (Out: Terry Robiskie)
- Matt LaFleur, offensive coordinator (Rams): Hired
- Brian Callahan, former quarterbacks coach (Lions): Interviewed on 1/24
- Ryan Day, co-offensive coordinator (Ohio State): Will not be hired
Defensive Coordinators
Arizona Cardinals (Out: James Bettcher)
- Al Holcomb, linebackers coach (Panthers): Hired
Baltimore Ravens (Out: Dean Pees)
- Don Martindale, linebackers coach (Ravens): Promoted
- Teryl Austin, defensive coordinator (Lions): Mentioned as candidate
- Chuck Pagano, former head coach (Colts): Ravens had interest
Carolina Panthers (Out: Steve Wilks)
- Eric Washington, defensive line coach (Panthers): Promoted
Chicago Bears
- Vic Fangio, defensive coordinator (Bears): Retained
Cincinnati Bengals (Out: Paul Guenther)
- Teryl Austin, defensive coordinator (Lions): Hired
- Vic Fangio, defensive coordinator (Bears): Bengals had interest
- Paul Guenther, defensive coordinator (Bengals): Bengals had hoped to retain
Detroit Lions
- Paul Pasqualoni, defensive line coach (Boston College): Hired
Green Bay Packers (Out: Dom Capers)
- Mike Pettine, former head coach (Browns): Hired
- Teryl Austin, defensive coordinator (Lions): Interview permission denied
- Gus Bradley, defensive coordinator (Chargers): Interview requested
- Vic Fangio, defensive coordinator (Bears): Viewed as top target
- Winston Moss, assistant head coach/linebackers (Packers): Interviewed
- Darren Perry, safeties coach (Packers): Interviewed on 1/8
- Joe Whitt, cornerbacks coach (Packers): Interviewed
Houston Texans (Out: Mike Vrabel)
- Romeo Crennel, assistant head coach (Texans): Hired
Indianapolis Colts (Out: Ted Monachino)
- Matt Eberflus, linebackers coach (Cowboys): Hired
Los Angeles Chargers
- Gus Bradley, defensive coordinator (Chargers): Retained
New England Patriots (Out: Matt Patricia)
- Brian Flores, linebackers coach (Patriots): Will call defenisve plays
- Aaron Glenn, secondary coach (Saints): Mentioned as candidate
New York Giants
- James Bettcher, former defensive coordinator (Cardinals): Hired
- Jack Del Rio, former head coach (Raiders): Viewed as frontrunner
- Steve Spagnuolo, defensive coordinator (Giants): Possible to remain in place
Oakland Raiders (Out: John Pagano)
- Paul Guenther, defensive coordinator (Bengals): Hired
Seattle Seahawks (Out: Kris Richard)
- Ken Norton Jr., former defensive coordinator (Raiders): Hired
Tennessee Titans (Out: Dick LeBeau)
- Dean Pees, former defensive coordinator (Ravens): Hired
- Darren Perry, cornerbacks coach (Packers): Mentioned as candidate
- James Bettcher, former defensive coordinator (Cardinals): Interviewed on 1/23
Mike Mularkey To Return To Titans In 2018
After guiding his team to a thrilling playoff win over the Chiefs yesterday, Titans head coach Mike Mularkey received assurance that he will be back in Tennessee next season, as Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com writes.
Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk issued the following statement on the matter:
“Our mantra all season has been to take things week by week and not get ahead of ourselves and it obviously has served us well. I regret that outside rumors gained a life of their own. No one has been a bigger supporter of Mike Mularkey than I have over the last two plus seasons. Mike and [GM] Jon [Robinson] have changed the culture of our team and organization and I am so happy we have been able to bring success on the field to our fans – winning 19 games over the last two seasons, including our first playoff win in nine years. Just to eliminate any distractions moving forward, Mike Mularkey is our head coach and will be our head coach moving forward. We still have work to be done, including this week, but I am looking forward to the journey.”
Mularkey, of course, was rumored to be on the hot seat even though the Titans made the playoffs this year. If his team had lost yesterday, he may have been fired, as the team was reportedly frustrated with the way QB Marcus Mariota was progressing. Mariota did indeed take a step backwards in 2017 after an excellent 2016, but he played well yesterday in guiding the Titans to a comeback victory. Had Mularkey been fired, Patriots OC Josh McDaniels was said to be Tennessee’s top choice to replace him.
Following underwhelming stints in Buffalo and Jacksonville, Mularkey replaced Ken Whisenhunt as the Titans head coach midway through the 2015 season. He went 2-7 during the remainder of that campaign, but he’s led his team to 9-7 records over the past two seasons. He faces exceedingly long odds to take Tennessee back to the Super Bowl, but even if he cannot achieve that goal this year, he will get another shot next season.
ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that the Titans’ players immensely respect and appreciate Mularkey, which certainly helped secure his return.
Titans HC Mike Mularkey On The Hot Seat?
Despite leading his team to consecutive nine-win seasons, Titans head coach Mike Mularkey could be on the hot seat. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the coach’s job “is not safe,” and a loss to the Chiefs today could end his tenure in Tennessee. There were reports last week that Mularkey could be fired if the Titans lost their season finale.
Following underwhelming stints in Buffalo and Jacksonville, Mularkey replaced Ken Whisenhunt as the Titans head coach midway through the 2015 season. He went 2-7 during the remainder of that campaign, but he’s led his team to 9-7 records over the past two seasons. The Titans will play Kansas City today in the wild card round, their first playoff appearance since 2008.
However, Rapoport tweets that ownership has spent the past week discussing the coach’s future. Specifically, there has been “frustration with the lack of development for Marcus Mariota.” The former second-overall pick had a breakout campaign in 2016, but he took a step back in 2017, completing 62-percent of his passes for 3,232 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.
According to Rapoport, the Titans front office is also preparing to pursue Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The former Broncos head coach has already generated a whole lot of interest, as he’s been connected to the Bears, Giants and Colts.