Mike Vrabel led the Titans to winning seasons in each of his first four campaigns in Tennessee. However, after back-to-back losing seasons, the 2021 Coach of the Year has been fired.
The Titans announced Tuesday that they had dismissed Vrabel after six seasons with the team.
"Earlier today, I spoke with Mike Vrabel and told him about my decision to make a change at head coach," owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement. "I appreciate Mike's contributions both on and off the field. We wish Mike, Jen, and the Vrabel family nothing but the best in the future.
Vrabel finished his Titans career with a record of 55-45 in the regular season and a 2-3 record in three playoff appearances. His most impressive season came in 2021, when he led the Titans to a 12-5 record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC with Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry leading the offense.
Vrabel instantly will become one of the top coaching candidates available on the market. While he will draw interest from many of the teams with openings, the Titans will move ahead with their own coaching search. That will provide general manager Ran Carthon, who was hired during the 2023 offseason, with what Tennessee hopes is a long-time partner.
Here's a look at some of the coaching candidates that the Titans could target, including some who have connections to Carthon.
Titans coaching candidates for 2024
Jim Harbaugh
- Team: Michigan
- Position: Head coach
Harbaugh is going to draw consideration for every NFL job opening as he considers jumping back to the professional level. He just led Michigan to a national title and his 44-19-1 record with the 49ers may have the Titans intrigued about potentially hiring him.
Harbaugh developed both Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick into solid NFL starters before his time in San Francisco came to an end. He has enjoyed a lot of success at Michigan too, helping the program return to its roots as a run-heavy offense that relied on its trend play to win games.
So, Harbaugh has proven himself in all aspects of offensive coaching. He has also proven that he knows how to hire bright defensive minds, so he could be the right person to turn Tennessee around in what appears to be the AFC's weakest division.
Would Harbaugh want to go to the Titans? Only time would tell, but given that Tennessee owns the seventh pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the team has the resources needed to get Harbaugh one of the quarterbacks he wants if he isn't a believer in Will Levis.
Bobby Slowik
- Team: Texans
- Position: Offensive coordinator
Carthon could also look to pluck a branch off Kyle Shanahan's ever-budding coaching tree. Slowik may be considered more a part of DeMeco Ryans' tree now, but both were in San Francisco as a part of Shanahan's staff while Carthon worked there in the front office. So, the up-and-coming coordinator has a connection to the relatively green Titans general manager.
Slowik has become one of the hottest names on the coaching market in recent weeks thanks to his work with C.J. Stroud. The Texans made the playoffs thanks to Stroud's elite rookie season, as he completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions while posting a 9-6 record in 15 statrs.
Slowik deserves a lot of credit for the work he did with Stroud. Some may have concerns about hiring him as a head coach after just one season as a full-time play-caller, but the Titans shouldn't be one of them. They should view him as both a valuable resource and one whose absence could slightly weaken Stroud if Ryans can't find an adequate replacement.
As such, the 36-year-old Slowik looks like a good fit with the Titans. They may be uniquely positioned to take on an unproven coach with upside as they head for what looks like a big rebuild effort.
Ben Johnson
- Team: Lions
- Position: Offensive coordinator
Johnson has already received interview requests this offseason, and seems likely that he will land a head coaching job if he so desires. That will make him a potential fit for the Titans, who may want to rework their offense after it sputtered under Vrabel.
In his two seasons as Lions offensive coordinator, Johnson has done excellent work with quarterback Jared Goff. The veteran has posted a 21-13 record under Johnson while completing 66.2 percent of his passes and averaging 4,506 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions per 17 games played.
Tennessee could be sold that Johnson could have a similar impact on Levis, who flashed as a starter during his rookie season. The Titans could also like the idea of pairing Johnson with another quarterback to upgrade the team's offensive ceiling as it prepares for the post-Derrick Henry era.
Either way, Johnson led the Lions to a top-five offense in scoring and yardage in back-to-back seasons while turning Detroit's offensive line into one of the best in the league. That should appeal to Carthon as he looks to bring aboard a new leader for the team.
Frank Smith
- Team: Dolphins
- Position: Offensive coordinator
Smith is another potential-packed option for the Titans to consider here. He may be a bit inexperienced as a play-caller, as Mike McDaniel handles those duties for the Dolphins.
That said, Smith has been responsible, in part, for implementing McDaniel's scheme with the Dolphins. The results have been excellent, as the Dolphins had the No. 1 offense in total yardage and No. 2 scoring offense during the 2023 NFL season.
Smith has worked under McDaniel and three Super Bowl-winning coaches — Sean Payton, Jon Gruden and John Fox — so he has seen first-hand how a winner is built. That, plus his background as an offensive line coach, may endear him to Carthon as the Titans look to rebuild their offense.
Todd Monken
- Team: Ravens
- Position: Offensive coordinator
Monken is in just his first season as the Ravens' offensive coordinator, but he has already made his mark as one of the best in the NFL. The 57-year-old has guided Lamar Jackson to an MVP season, one during which he was one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the league.
Monken changed the Ravens' run-heavy offense into a vertical passing attack. That has been a staple of his at every stop along the way. He likes to air it out, and that could appeal to Tennessee as it moves from the Henry and Vrabel era to a new one with Levis or another quarterback at the helm.
Regardless of who is playing that position, Monken would be able to teach and develop that player into a quality passer. He has not only helped Jackson become a higher-level passer, but he also led Stetson Bennett to two national championships at Georgia and orchestrated a season in Tampa Bay during which Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jameis Winston combined to throw for more than 5,000 yards.
In short, Monken knows how to get the most out of the passing game. That makes him a nice fit in Tennessee considering that DeAndre Hopkins, Chig Okonkwo and Tyjae Spears are the team's top weapons under contract.
Mike Macdonald
- Team: Ravens
- Position: Defensive coordinator
Of course, the Titans could try to hire the other available branch of John Harbaugh's coaching tree. Macdonald has been working under one of the Harbaughs since 2014, and he has gotten the most out of Baltimore's defense at it become the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
The Ravens rank No. 1 in defensive DVOA for the 2023 NFL season and have posted the best scoring defense in the league. They have shut down the likes of the Dolphins and 49ers in recent weeks, and that has gone a long way toward boosting Macdonald's stock.
Macdonald has done well to get the most out of players with the Ravens. Justin Madubuike has recorded a career-high 13 sacks through 16 games in 2023; Jadeveon Clowney has revitalized his career with an 8.5-sack season; and Geno Stone has blossomed into an interception machine under Macdonald's tutelage.
At just 36, Macdonald has sky-high potential and would be a more-than-adequate replacement for Vrabel on the defensive side of the ball. The only question is whether the Titans want to go with another defensive-minded coach or if they'd rather stick to the offensive side this time.
Raheem Morris
- Team: Rams
- Position: Defensive coordinator
And here's one final consideration for the Ravens. Morris has gotten a lot of love on the coaching carousel, seeing a few interviews already because of his work with the Rams.
The interest in Morris makes sense. He's known as a strong leader and he has routinely kept the Los Angeles defense competitive despite seeing numerous veteran players and trade acquisitions shuffle in and out of the unit. That will intrigue teams looking to maximize the talent they have on defense, like the Titans.
Now 47 years old, Morris was once the NFL's youngest head coach with the Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011 and the Falcons' interim coach in 2020. His overall mark of 21-38 may leave a lot to be desired, but he led the Bucs to a 10-6 record in 2010 before the wheels fell off for Josh Freeman. So, perhaps with more experience and a more consistent quarterback, Morris could lead a team to success.
Will that be the Titans? Again, Tennessee will probably be looking to swing the pendulum back to the offensive side, but Morris can't be ruled out as an option.
