Titans Fire Head Coach Mike Vrabel After Second Straight Losing Season

The Tennessee Titans fired head coach Mike Vrabel on Tuesday after wrapping up a 6-11 record on Sunday, their second straight losing season.

Vrabel ended the season with an unexpected win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, kicking them out of playoff position and making way for the Houston Texans, who won the AFC South this year for the first time since 2019.

One win wouldn’t change Vrabel’s future with the Titans.

In an interview with controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk, posted by the team on Tuesday, Strunk was asked whether she considered trading coach Vrabel rather than firing him.

“A coach’s contract, you can’t trade them unless they are a willing partner to that trade,” she said. “So yes, we thought about it, but at the end of the day with league rules the way they are, it would have maybe put us back three weeks, and you know, to get the right head coach, I was just not willing to go to the back of the line and take a chance of missing out on someone we really wanted.”

GM Ran Carthon was hired by the Titans just one year ago, and he has restated his approval of Vrabel since the start.

“Whether it’s personal or professional,” Carthon said, “we worked well together and had a good relationship. We were in lockstep… I wish Vrabes nothing but the best. I consider him a friend and I feel like we’ll be that way moving forward.”

The 48-year-old came to the Titans in 2018 after a two-year stint as defensive coordinator with the Texans. He initially led the Titans to four straight winning seasons and three playoff appearances. They reached the AFC championship in Vrabel’s second year in 2019 and lost in the wildcard round in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Vrabel earned the Coach of the Year award in 2021 but followed it up with two seasons multiple games below .500.

“As the NFL continues to innovate and evolve,” owner Strunk noted, “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.”

Despite missing out on Strunk’s plans for the Titans’ future, the former coach of the year already has multiple open head coaching positions on offer, including teams like the Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots and more.