Mike Vrabel Fired as Titans HC After 6-11 Record During 2023 NFL Season

The Tennessee Titans will be in search of a new head coach this offseason, as Mike Vrabel was fired after six seasons on Tuesday.

Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk “wanted fresh perspective in the coaching staff after a 6-18 stretch over the last two seasons, including 1-9 in division games,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.

According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Titans “believed trading Vrabel was too complicated and would take too long.” She added Tennessee “wanted to move on quickly” and that “Vrabel never asked ownership for a trade or asked out.”

“Earlier today, I spoke with Mike Vrabel and told him about my decision to make a change at head coach. As I told Coach Vrabel, this decision was as difficult as any I’ve made as Controlling Owner,” Strunk said in a statement. “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.

“As the NFL continues to innovate and evolve, I believe the teams best positioned for sustained success will be those who empower an aligned and collaborative team across all football functions. Last year, we began a shift in our approach to football leadership and made several changes to our personnel to advance that plan. As I continued to assess the state of our team, I arrived at the conclusion that the team would also benefit from the fresh approach and perspective of a new coaching staff.”

Vrabel’s departure comes after a lost season for the Titans in which they finished 6-11 and failed to make the playoffs for the second straight year. Tennessee struggled on both sides of the ball, averaging 289.0 yards per game on offense and allowing 335.1 yards per game on defense.

NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reported that Vrabel was “frustrated by the most difficult season of his tenure.” Now, he’s set to be one of the most coveted coaching candidates on the market.

A former NFL linebacker who won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, Vrabel was hired as head coach of the Titans in 2018 and enjoyed immediate success. He led Tennessee to a 9-7 record in his first year before going on a run of three straight playoff appearances. In his first trip to the postseason in 2019, he coached the Titans to the AFC Championship Game, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Tennessee went on to win back-to-back AFC South titles in 2020 and 2021. Vrabel was named NFL Coach of the Year in 2021 after the Titans finished as the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 12-5 record. However, the team didn’t enjoy the same success in the playoffs, getting bounced in the wild-card round in 2020 and the divisional round the following year.

During his time with the Titans, Vrabel constructed a hard-nosed offense predicated on the ground game with star running back Derrick Henry leading the way. Henry led the league in rushing twice and was named to three Pro Bowls during Vrabel’s tenure, earning first-team All-Pro and NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2020.

It appears that Tennessee has found its quarterback of the future in Will Levis, so the team’s next head coach will have to figure out the best way to balance the passing and rushing attacks in order to get the Titans back to the postseason in 2024.