The top 5 coaches the Titans should target to replace Mike Vrabel
The Tennessee Titans kicked off their offseason on Tuesday by firing head coach Mike Vrabel. Vrabel led the Titans to three playoff appearances and two AFC South division titles during his six seasons as the franchise's head coach. But he went 6-18 in his final 24 games with the Titans which led to ownership making […]
The Tennessee Titans kicked off their offseason on Tuesday by firing head coach Mike Vrabel.
Vrabel led the Titans to three playoff appearances and two AFC South division titles during his six seasons as the franchise's head coach. But he went 6-18 in his final 24 games with the Titans which led to ownership making a change.
The Titans opted to fire Vrabel instead of trading him because they felt the process would take too long as they begin their search for a new head coach.
Speaking of a new head coach, the Titans will have plenty of options as they work to replace Vrabel.
Here are the top five options the Titans should pursue as the franchise's new head coach.
Ben Johnson — Detroit Lions offensive coordinator
The 37-year-old Johnson, a former walk-on quarterback at North Carolina, is expected to be an in-demand option for teams looking for a new head coach this offseason.
One interesting note about Johnson, who has spent time as an assistant with the Lions and the Miami Dolphins, is that he's been retained by two different coaches in the NFL after the franchise went through a coaching change.
Johnson was retained in Miami when Adam Gase took over for Joe Philbin. He was also retained in Detroit when Dan Campbell took over for Matt Patrica (Johnson and Campbell were together in Miami before Gase took over as the Dolphins' head coach).
"The biggest plus on Ben Johnson's resume is that he's the guy that helped resurrect Jared Goff," notes AtoZ Sports Lions writer Mike Payton. "The Lions quarterback was supposed to be a bridge guy whose career was nearly done and now he's one of the better quarterbacks in the league and is in the top five or six in every major statistical category."
"Johnson has also shown a ton of creativity that's allowed the Lison to be one of the very best offenses in football right now," added Payton. "He's drawing up all kinds of new ideas that you can't believe you just saw and the Lions are getting those plays done most of the time."
Bobby Slowik — Houston Texans offensive coordinator
Slowik is another young offensive mind that's receiving a significant amount of interest this offseason as a head coaching candidate.
And he's an obvious choice for the Titans thanks to his connection to general manager Ran Carthon.
Slowik was an assistant for the San Francisco 49ers from 2017 to 2022. Carthon worked in the 49ers' front office during that same span before taking over for Jon Robinson as the Titans' general manager.
This past season, Slowik proved himself as a play caller in the NFL. In his first job with play calling duties, Slowik helped the Texans win the AFC South with a rookie quarterback in CJ Stroud.
Slowik comes from the Shanahan coaching tree which has proved to be fruitful in the NFL.
"Bobby was as talented as anyone I've ever worked with," said 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on losing Slowik to the Texans (via ESPN). "I didn't want to lose him at all. DeMeco knew that he was special. DeMeco and he had a close bond together because they both were [quality control coaches]."
Stroud also gave Slowik quite the endorsement recently.
"[Slowik] helped me tremendously," said Stroud (via ESPN). "He's one of the people I appreciate because he's honest with me. He holds me accountable game in and game out, no matter how good people say [I played] — he always has a coaching point or two to hit, and he's always honest, which I appreciate."
Frank Smith — Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator
There are no shortage of young offensive minds in the NFL right now.
Smith is another option that's already garnering head coaching interest. And he has a loose connection to Carthon via Dolpins head coach Mike McDaniel. Smith has never worked with Carthon, but he's been on McDaniel's staff the last two seasons in Miami. McDaniel was in San Francisco for five seasons with Carthon.
As for Smith's credentials, he doesn't call plays for the Dolphins, but he's viewed by McDaniel as an important assistant for Miami.
“He has a thorough understanding of the game and is a great teacher, which is really what coaching is all about,” said McDaniel earlier this season (via The Athletic). “He also has a unique ability to anticipate problems before they arise, be that on the field or in administrative-type things related to schedules, questions that will come up with players or coaches, etc. He operates on a daily basis with a passion, positivity and humility that is rare and sets him apart. It’s hard for me to summarize the positive impact Frank has had on our team, our coaching staff and especially in supporting me as a head coach.”
Smith is known for his ability to relate to players on a personal level.
“He had a great ability to relate to you as a person and to individually work through stuff rather than trying to do a blanket solution to everything,” said Chargers offensive lineman Rashawn Slater, who was with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021 with Smith (via The Athletic). “One of the biggest things you see that can make someone a great head coach is their people skills and the way they connect with people. He’s always been outstanding at forging those relationships."
Jim Harbaugh — Michigan head coach
If the Titans want a proven option, they should go after Harbaugh. Unlike the other names on this list, Harbaugh has already has success as an NFL head coach. Harbaugh, who played in the NFL from 1987 to 2001, went 44-19-1 in four seasons as the 49ers' head coach. He made three playoff appearances and reached the Super Bowl in 2012 (his other two playoff trips ended with an NFC Championship game appearance).
Harbaugh has been lauded for his work with quarterbacks over the years which would make him a great option to pair with Titans quarterback Will Levis, who just wrapped up a promising rookie season.
Specifically, Harbaugh is known for perfecting technique and fundamentals with his quarterbacks.
"It's more fundamental with the quarterbacks," said Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore recently. "He doesn't step in with the play calls, doesn't step in with what we're doing with the game plan."
Harbaugh is expected to make the jump to the NFL after leading Michigan to a win against Washington in the National Championship game on Monday night. The Titans will have some stiff competition, however, if they decide to pursue Harbaugh. The Raiders and the Chargers are also interested in the former 49ers head coach.
Eric Bieniemy — Washington Commanders offensive coordinator
It's surprising that Bieniemy hasn't received a head coaching job yet after his work with the Kansas City Chiefs' offense from 2018 to 2022.
It's even more surprising after seeing the way the Chiefs' offense struggled this season without Bieniemy on staff.
Bieniemy left Kansas City for Washington after the 2022 season to "prove himself" away from Andy Reid.
Washington's offense looked dynamic at times during the first half of the season, but it faltered in the second half of the season, failing to score more than 30 points in a game after October 29.
Of course, it wasn't a great situation for Bieniemy. Head coach Ron Rivera was fired at the end of the season. And the Commanders have some serious questions at quarterback.
Still, Bieniemy has received strong endorsements in the past, including from superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
"It’s so past deserves, man. He’s done everything the right way," said Mahomes in early 2023. "He’s been a part of this offense and this team for so long, holds everyone accountable, is creative in making up plays for us. I don’t know why he hasn’t been hired. But it’s been great for us, because we’ve had one of the best coaches in the league with us for way long past due."
