Titans

BREAKING: Titans Fire HC Mike Vrabel

January 9, 2024

Update:

In an official announcement, Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk confirmed she made the decision to fire HC Mike Vrabel.

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.”

According to Adam Schefter, the Titans have fired HC Mike Vrabel.

This comes as a major surprise. Even though there were rumors of discord behind the scenes in Tennessee, most people thought the Titans were happy with Vrabel’s performance as a former coach of the year.

Had there been an exit, most expected it would have been a mutual parting of ways or Tennessee exploring its trade options. Rumors have swirled for much of the season about Vrabel’s satisfaction or lack thereof with the Titans, who hired GM Ran Carthon this past offseason ahead of internal candidate Ryan Cowden who was believed to be Vrabel’s preferred choice for the job.

Instead, it looks like the Titans are the ones cutting Vrabel loose altogether. Schefter says Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk wanted a fresh perspective.

This is a major domino that clears the way for Vrabel to potentially land with the New England Patriots, a destination he reportedly is interested in, assuming the other shoe drops with no word yet on HC Bill Belichick‘s status for 2024.

Vrabel, 48, began his coaching career with Ohio State as their linebackers coach back in 2011 after a 14-year playing career as a linebacker with the Steelers, Patriots and Chiefs.

After several years with the Buckeyes, Vrabel was hired by the Texans as their linebackers coach in 2014 and wound up being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2017. The Titans hired Vrabel as their head coach back in 2018.

In six years with the Titans, Vrabel has compiled a record of 52-41 with three playoff appearances and a 2-3 playoff record. He was also named the 2021 coach of the year.

We’ll have more on Vrabel and the Titans’ coaching situation as the news is available.