Breaking: Titans fire Mike Vrabel after back-to-back losing seasons
The Titans have fired coach Mike Vrabel according to Adam Schefter at ESPN.
Vrabel has been the Titans coach for the last 6 years and is the team’s winningest coach since Jeff Fisher. Vrabel’s Titans’ tenure ends with the coach having a 54-45 record. The coach led the Titans to 2 division titles and 4 consecutive winning seasons from 2018-21. The Titans also earned an AFC Championship appearance and Vrabel won 2021 NFL Coach of the Year.
Ultimately, however, those first four great years weren’t enough to overcome the last two seasons. In 2022 and 2023, the Titans went 13-21 overall and lost 7 consecutivegames in 2022 after starting the season at 7-3.
Rumors have been swirling all week, and it's now official that the Titans are going in a new direction Controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk released the following statement:
"Earlier today, I spoke with Mike Vrabel and told him about my decision to make a change at head coach. As I told Coach Vrabel, this decision was as difficult as any I've made as Controlling Owner. I appreciate Mike's contributions to the Tennessee Titans both on and off the field. Anyone who has ever met him knows how passionate and genuine he is, and he's been a strong supporter of the Nashville community. We wish Mike, Jen, and the Vrabel family nothing but the best in the future.
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. Last year, we began a shift in our approach to football leadership and made several changes to our personnel to advance that plan. As I continued to assess the state of our team, I arrived at the conclusion that the team would also benefit from the fresh approach and perspective of a new coaching staff.
I believe the Tennessee Titans can and will be a premier National Football League franchise. It's what our fans deserve, and there will be hard decisions along the way. My decision today is not only a reflection of my disappointment in our past two seasons, but also my recognition that further changes are necessary to fully achieve our vision.
I will never shy away from acknowledging that I have unapologetically high expectations for the football team and every aspect of the Titans organization. Our vision is not simply to produce more wins than losses, it is to regularly compete for championships. While this season was disappointing, I see early signs of progress taking shape. Last year we added a promising young quarterback and several other talented players to our roster. With a coaching search, enviable cap space, and top-10 draft position, this offseason is as important as any in our history. I'm excited for the weeks and months ahead. We will meet the moment."
The Titans have a top 10 draft pick and an enviable amount of cap space, as Strunk pointed out. There should be no shortage of suitors for this job, and things could develop quickly. Be sure to stay tuned in to The 1796 as we await updates on the Titans’ coaching search.