Robert Saleh puts ticking clock on Titans’ head coach search by jumping the line as official finalist

It’s down to Robert Saleh and Matt Nagy

Easton Freeze — Tennessee Titans Beat Writer
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The search for the next head coach of the Tennessee Titans is coming to an end.

Round 1 of their interview process involved 16 candidates under consideration. These coaches came from all kinds of different situations, met with the team in a variety of official and unofficial capacities, and varied from very serious candidates to fact-finding missions.

Now on Monday, Jan. 19, they are allowed to conduct in-person interviews with coaches out of the playoffs but currently employed by another team. And Tennessee has its three finalists, with a decision looming large.

Robert Saleh joins three finalists for Titans head coach

Chiefs OC Matt Nagy, Packers DC Jeff Hafley, and now 49ers DC Robert Saleh make up the Titans’ official finalist list.

Nagy and Hafley were announced earlier over the weekend, with the Saleh news breaking Sunday afternoon. Hafley is scheduled to come to Nashville on Tuesday, though, after visiting the Miami Dolphins on Monday. Miami rather shamelessly hustled to schedule a pair of in-person interviews with minority candidates Monday morning.

This was clearly just to satisfy the Rooney Rule, so they could promptly hire Hafley before he left the building and reached Nashville. Barring a real shock, this will make him the third Titans target they get jumped in front of by another team.

With Hafley’s name a mere formality on the Titans’ shortlist at this stage, it’s come down to a two-man race: Saleh vs. Nagy. Saleh’s 49ers lost to the Seahawks in the playoffs Saturday night, freeing him up for in-person interviews this week. His initial Zoom interview — slated to be the last of the first round — was canceled Sunday night and rescheduled as a finalist interview in Nashville on Monday.

Titans’ leadership felt good about their research to make him a finalist without an initial formal interview.

Former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is not technically a finalist, though he met informally with Titans brass early in the process before dinner in Nashville Friday night, followed by a long official interview Saturday. While he isn’t out of the picture, he appears to be no better than a third-place option heading into Monday.

Things are moving quickly. Nagy and Saleh will roll through St. Thomas Sports Park, and a decision may very well be made before Monday ends. I expect a new Titans head coach to be announced within the next 36-48 hours at most.

Nagy’s finalist treatment began early, getting a steak dinner in Nashville with Titans leadership on Sunday night.

Could this wine-and-dine treatment foreshadow a hiring? We’ll see. I’m told Saleh is a very serious candidate. They didn’t change plans and have him fly all the way out to not seriously consider him.

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