Mike Vrabel responds to being on the hot seat
NASHVILLE — After his team's loss in Jacksonville on Sunday, Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel was left answering questions about his job security at the podium. Vrabel’s Titans are 3-7 on the season and 3-14 in their last 17 games. Regardless of how you feel about him as a coach or what his job […]
NASHVILLE — After his team's loss in Jacksonville on Sunday, Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel was left answering questions about his job security at the podium.
Vrabel’s Titans are 3-7 on the season and 3-14 in their last 17 games. Regardless of how you feel about him as a coach or what his job security should look like moving forward, results don’t lie.
When you lose that many games, you’re going to be on the hot seat. It doesn’t matter who you are. Here’s how Vrabel responded to the questions postgame.
"I don't try to concern myself with that," Vrabel said in his postgame press conference when asked about his job security with the Titans. "I really am focused on these players. I hurt for them. I played for 14 years, won some games, won some championships. I am frustrated for the players, I am disappointed for the players. I want them to have success. I know how hard they work and what they put into it, so that's what my focus is."
"My focus is on coaching this team and trying to get these guys to understand that there's a fine line in this league between wining and losing and finding a way to get a win. That's what I'm focused on," Vrabel continued. "I'll let you guys fire me each week or not fire me. I appreciate your question. I will always understand that. We have to improve and we have to win, those are things we have to do."
A few weeks ago, I would have told you there was no chance that the Titans moved on from Vrabel. No chance they trade him to New England, and even less chance that they straight up fire him.
But after the continued inexplicable losses, it’s really hard to tell where Titans ownership and Amy Adams Strunk stand on the team's head coach.
On one hand, Vrabel is someone that Amy cares a lot for. She has trusted him fully for the last six years and even gave him a bigger role in personnel decisions this past offseason. When Strunk fired Jon Robinson last fall, it showed her level of commitment to Vrabel moving forward.
But when Strunk fired Robinson last fall, it also showed her disgust with losing. The Titans wanted to go from good to great as an organization. They wanted to go from a perennial playoff team to a perennial Super Bowl contender. While Robinson and Strunk had a great relationship, Titans ownership felt that the team was not going to take things to the next level under his leadership and patience was running out.
3-7 on Thanksgiving is the exact opposite of what this organization had in mind when they made that decision. I am of the belief that Tennessee should be patient with Vrabel and give him a chance to turn this roster around in the off-season. But the questions absolutely need to be asked.
I think the 48-year-old head coach handled it well. Unfortunately for him, his seat is not going to get any cooler.
Titans must face embarrassing reality after loss to Jaguars
If the truth hurts, be in pain.
