When Mike Vrabel took the Tennessee Titans head coaching job, he immediately raised the level in Nashville and led the Titans to four consecutive winning seasons, including three trips to the playoffs (and one visit to the AFC title game in 2019). However, the last two years have seen the Titans fall off the pace in the AFC South, going 7-10 and 6-11 in back-to-back years, and despite a Week 18 win over the Jaguars to knock them out of the playoffs, Tennessee has decided to make a change at head coach.
Word broke on Tuesday that Vrabel would be joining the likes of Arthur Smith and Ron Rivera on the unemployment line, although unlike those two, he will likely be in line for another head coaching job this offseason.
#Titans part ways with head coach Mike Vrabel
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) January 9, 2024
Titans fired head coach Mike Vrabel, per sources.
Vrabel led Tennessee to four consecutive winning seasons after arriving in 2018, but the Titans have experienced back-to-back frustrating seasons, finishing multiple games under .500 both times.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 9, 2024
The Tennessee Titans have fired head coach Mike Vrabel, a team source said. Just six weeks ago, owner Amy Adams Strunk had plans for Vrabel to be part of the organization for years to come, believing they had a top NFL coach. Recently, ownership changed its mind.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 9, 2024
As Diana Russini notes, Vrabel’s firing comes as a bit of a surprise given he got a vote of confidence earlier this year, but it appears Tennessee is now going to head in a very different direction going into 2024. This marks the end of an era of Titans football, with Vrabel now gone and it being very likely Derrick Henry has also played his final game in Nashville.
Vrabel will now look for a new job and figures to find himself one fairly quickly, as he has a 54-45 record as head coach and, while the Titans certainly struggled the past two years, they also were operating at a QB talent deficit. Vrabel’s teams have always played with a certain level of physicality and toughness that many teams will find intriguing, even if there are real questions about whether Vrabel’s style puts a ceiling on how good a team can be offensively. He should be a very strong candidate for a number of the open jobs on the market — and has some very obvious ties in New England should they move on from Bill Belichick as many anticipate.