Tennessee Titans have chosen to part ways with head coach Mike Vrabel after a six-season tenure
On Tuesday, the Tennessee Titans dismissed coach Mike Vrabel after two consecutive losing seasons. Despite his potential trade value for teams looking for a head coach, the team’s owner opted not to wait and made the decision to bring about a change.
Vrabel led the Titans as coach for six seasons, achieving a 54-45 record with a win percentage of 54.5% and securing two playoff victories. The team officially announced this news.
“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 on Tuesday. “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.”
The recent two seasons have been challenging for Vrabel. In his initial four seasons, the team performed well, boasting a 41-23 record and reaching the AFC Championship Game in 2019. However, the Titans faced a setback in the last two seasons, failing to make the playoffs with records of 7-10 and 6-11.
Since their appearance in the AFC title game in 2019, the Titans have struggled in the playoffs. They haven’t won any postseason games, losing to the Ravens in 2020 and facing an upset by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021, despite holding the top seed in the AFC postseason.
The Titans faced challenges in the last two seasons due to quarterback issues. Despite starting the 2022 season strong with a 7-3 record, they went on to lose seven consecutive games, ultimately missing the playoffs. This allowed the Jaguars to claim the AFC South title. The struggles were intensified by Ryan Tannehill’s injury and difficulties with other Titans quarterbacks.
In 2023, Tannehill made a comeback but struggled, managing only two touchdown passes in his initial six starts before another injury. Rookie Will Levis stepped in and had a strong debut, throwing four touchdowns in a win against the Falcons. However, he faced challenges in the following eight starts, adding just four more touchdown passes, and the Titans secured only three victories in the nine games with the rookie as the starting quarterback.
Prior to the final game of the season, reports from NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero suggested that Vrabel, feeling frustrated, planned to discuss the team’s future with Titans management.
It now appears that Vrabel won’t be returning for a seventh season.
In a statement on Tuesday, team owner Adams Strunk expressed her belief that successful NFL teams need a unified and collaborative team across all football roles. She noted changes made last year in leadership and personnel and, upon assessing the team’s status, concluded that a new coaching staff with a fresh perspective would benefit the Titans.
“I believe the Tennessee Titans can and will be a top-tier NFL franchise. That’s what our fans deserve, and tough decisions will be part of the process. My decision today reflects not only my disappointment in our last two seasons but also my acknowledgment that more changes are necessary to fully realize our vision.”
There were also rumors of discord between Vrabel and general manager Ran Carthon. Carthon, who took over as Titans GM before the 2023 season, denied these rumors at the beginning of his Tuesday news conference.
“I know there’s been a lot of talk in the last few months about Mike and my relationship,” he said. “But I want to clear things up. Mike and I never had any problems, whether personal or professional. We worked well together and had a good relationship. So, I want to set the record straight. I wish Vrabs nothing but the best, consider him a friend, and think we’ll stay that way moving forward.”
Because of Vrabel’s success in his six seasons, some thought that a solution might involve trading him to another team, allowing Tennessee to get some draft picks in return.
Adams Strunk, the team owner, mentioned in an interview on Tuesday that they considered it. “Yes, there was,” Adams Strunk said. “But there’s a bit of a misunderstanding about a coach’s contract compared to a player’s contract. You can’t trade a coach unless they agree. So, yes, we thought about it. But with the rules in the league, it might have taken us back three weeks. To make sure we got the right head coach, I didn’t want to risk missing out on someone we really wanted.”