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NFL power rankings: Head coaches from 32-1

By Brad Berreman

HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 05: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots speaks to the media after Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 05: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots speaks to the media after Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images) /
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Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hitt-Getty Images
Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hitt-Getty Images /

No 16.: Mike Mularkey, Tennessee Titans

After stepping in as interim head coach during the 2015 season (2-7 record), the Titans had the second winning record (9-7) in Mularkey’s four-plus seasons as an NFL head coach last season. He’s still got a long way to go to become a proven, winning head coach, but the Titans are least an intriguing team now with Marcus Mariota under center and some promising young players throughout the roster.

After his playing career, Mularkey created a solid resume as an offensive coordinator. But his previous head coaching stints, with the Buffalo Bills (2004-2005) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2012) were as bad as they were short, and his promotion to the full-time role with the Titans was highly uninspired at the time and still looks to be so now.

The Titans’ expected rise on the field this year will raise Mularkey’s profile league-wide to some degree, whether it’s really deserved or not. He’s a middle of the road head coach until further notice though, with an old-school “exotic smash mouth” approach to how Tennessee’s offense will function. An AFC South title in 2017 will not change that view of Mularkey as a mediocre head coach, and anything less could be considered a underachievement when it’s all said and done.

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