The Tennessee Titans’ head coaching search drags on into its third month with no end in sight for the foreseeable future. Multiple candidates have been bandied about to take Brian Callahan’s vacated seat when the season ends with good reason. Last week, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones threw his hat into the ring with fresh intel regarding the ongoing search. There are a few nuggets for anxious Titans to monitor as they fight for a top-three selection. What morsels of information did Jones drop?
CBS Sports: “No Frontrunners In Titans Head Coach Search”
“I don’t see the Titans as pigeon-holing themselves into any “type” of head coach ahead of their search process.”
The Titans recently joined the 21st century by beefing up their analytics department, so their coaching search must do the same. It’s great news to hear that they won’t limit themselves to a coach who specializes in one side of the ball or the other. Do they need to rebuild the team’s foundation after years of mismanagement came home to roost over the past two years? The answer is definitively yes, they need to do so. GM Mike Borgonzi and his staff have free rein to do so with careful oversight from the President of Football Operations, Chad Brinker.
“Yes, I believe previous experience is going to be a plus after Tennessee fired Brian Callahan after just a season and a half. But I believe the Titans will still interview candidates who have not previously been coaches, and those candidates’ vision for how they fill out a staff will be crucial. If a young coach has veteran coaches on his staff, for example, that would be a boost.”
Jones writes that prior head-coaching experience will be a major plus for any candidate, given that the Callahan era ended in failure. While having head-coaching experience is beneficial, it won’t rule out candidates who don’t. It’s a refreshing mindset after years of retreads bouncing around. Younger coaches tend to have limited rolodexes to call upon, but if they can coach, they can coach. However, their ability won’t be known until they are truly in the hot seat when games begin. Veteran coaches who have been through the wringer are valuable sounding boards for young coaches.
Which veteran coaches are being considered for the vacancy?
The speculation around the coaching search inevitably ends up with the same names being connected to the vacancy as in prior written pieces. Naturally, Chiefs OC Matt Nagy is frequently mentioned, given his numerous ties to Borgonzi. Jones makes an oft-repeated connection for the former Chicago head coach. Perhaps Nagy gets a courtesy interview out of regard for his relationship to the GM. Another frequent name associated with the franchise is Mike McCarthy. He shares a history with Brinker as both have worked for the Packers once upon a time. McCarthy’s CV is pocked full of questions, such as why he didn’t have more success with Aaron Rodgers.
Who are the “youngsters” that warranted mention?
Jones once again opts for the familiar comforts of connect the dots as he mentions a trio of defensive coordinators. Packers DC Jeff Hafley is worth noting, as he brings head-coaching experience, albeit at the collegiate level. Chargers defensive mastermind Jesse Minter has full autonomy in Los Angeles. LA’s defense is one of the league’s best units despite suffering a raft of injuries once again. The other LA-based franchise is mentioned, as Chris Shula is again named a premier candidate for the job. Shula has done an impressive job of melding young and old pieces together in the post-Aaron Donald era. Interestingly, the Titans saw both Los Angeles outfits utterly eviscerate the offense this season.
What other notable things are mentioned about the opening?
“There will be others to interview there, and I wouldn’t necessarily call anyone the frontrunner just yet. But I won’t be surprised to see this process move quickly in Tennessee considering all the lead time the Titans have had to prepare.”
“With the benefit of time, this job looks better than it did two months ago. Rookie quarterback Cam Ward has played much better recently, so there should be less hesitation from a prospective candidate.”
There may be no frontrunners at this stage of the race, but Nagy is the clear, publicly perceived favorite due to his aforementioned ties. It would behoove Tennessee to turn over every stone and see what comes out. The Titans were the first team to fire their sitting head coach, so they’ve had plenty of time to vet candidates and finalize their list. Hopefully, they are among the first teams to hire one. Ward’s emergence over the past two months has undoubtedly helped, as he has improved. Tennessee had brutal schedule luck in 2025, which could be a boon for Ward as he develops, as he faced the most formidable defenses in the league early. Coaching candidates will see his development and mentality as pluses.
Will Amy Adams Strunk Take A Step Back?
“But maybe even more importantly than the quarterback is Tennessee’s owner. Amy Adams Strunk has not developed the best reputation in hiring circles after firing a winning GM (Jon Robinson), a winning head coach (Mike Vrabel), a GM after two years (Ran Carthon), a head coach after 23 games (Callahan) and putting together an initially confusing front office setup, all while rarely speaking publicly and never taking questions from independent media.”
There will be no re-litigating the curious case of Vrabel’s firing, but Vrabel’s candor about his Patriots desire forced Adams Strunk’s hand. Robinson opened his tenure on fire, but undid everything when he traded AJ Brown. Callahan wasn’t given a chance amid the tumultuous situation but ultimately proved ill-suited for the lead chair. Yes, her presence could improve. AAS could be more publicly visible during the lean times instead of trotting out underlings to take the flak. There’s something admirable about letting football people do their jobs while working in the background as an owner. We’ve seen the calamitous outcomes of owners being overly involved in the business of football. However, more could be done on her part publicly, rather than issuing media statements that contain degrees of vagueness.