The Tennessee Titans are officially looking for their next head coach. On Tuesday, the team announced that he had fired head coach Mike Vrabel after six seasons.
Vrabel led the team to three playoff appearances in his first four years with the Titans, but they missed the playoffs the last two years. This season, Tennessee finished with a 6-11 record, last in the AFC South.
Many were surprised to hear the news, including fans, media and even one of his former players. Following the firing, running back Derrick Henry, who has spent his entire career thus far with the Titans, reacted to the news.
“Wow. Wow. I’m shocked. Coach Vrabel is a leader among men. He’s a great coach and teacher. I know he’ll get another opportunity right away. I’m looking forward to it,” said Henry, who is a free agent. this offseason, said (via Dianna Russini).
Henry will probably go elsewhere as well, as he apparently said goodbye to the Titans and their fans in the team’s final game in 2023. The running back called his eight seasons with the Titans the best of his life, and six of those years were led by Vrabel.
Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk called the firing a difficult decision and thanked Vrabel for what he did for the team and the community.
“As the NFL continues to innovate and evolve, I believe the teams best positioned for sustained success will be those that enable an aligned and collaborative team across all functions of football,” he said. -she declared. “Last year, we initiated a shift in our approach to football leadership and made several changes to our personnel to advance this plan. As I continued to evaluate the state of our team, I came to the conclusion that the team would also benefit from the new approach and perspective of a new coaching staff.
The Titans gig was Vrabel’s first head coaching job and he finished his time there with a 54-45 record, .545 winning percentage. He went 2-3 in playoff games.
Vrabel’s next spot is not yet known, but many are linking him to a possible reunion with the New England Patriots, where he won three Super Bowls as a player. With current head coach Bill Belichick’s future uncertain, a path for Vrabel’s return could be there. Other teams that could be interested include the Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers.