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Titans fire Mike Mularkey after playoff run

By Joe Schiller

FOXBOROUGH, MA - JANUARY 13: Head cocah Mike Mularkey of the Tennessee Titans reacts after the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 13, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - JANUARY 13: Head cocah Mike Mularkey of the Tennessee Titans reacts after the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 13, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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The Tennessee Titans announced this morning that they’ve parted ways with head coach Mike Mularkey.

Just over a day removed from their 35-14 loss to the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round, the Tennessee Titans are making moves. On Monday morning, the team announced the firing of head coach Mike Mularkey. The news was made official from the Titans.

Mularkey was rumored to be on the hot seat late in the regular season but that changed with a postseason berth. After a 22-21 Wild Card win over the Kansas City Chiefs, reports surfaced that Mularkey was safe. Heck, on Sunday, Ian Rapoport reported that Mularkey was offered an extension by the Titans.

From an extension to being fired, Mularkey is now without a job.

Mularkey was hired as the Titans head coach in 2015 to replace Ken Whisenhunt. In three seasons,  Mularkey led the Titans to a 21-27 record with just one playoff berth. While the Titans steadily improved during his tenure, there were notable struggles on the offensive side of the ball.

Marcus Mariota did not progress the way the team was hoping for in his third season. He finished the 2017 season with just 13 touchdowns to 15 interceptions. Many criticized Mularkey for not utilizing Mariota to the best of his ability and the offensive struggles showed in an anemic performance against the Patriots.

With Mularkey out, the coaching carousel just got even more interesting. Initial reports suggest Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels could be a front-runner for the job. McDaniels is considered a brilliant offensive mind and would pair well with the dual threat of Mariota. He’s been linked to jobs like the Colts and Giants but that could quickly change.

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With the number of head coaching candidates available, it’s unlikely Mularkey finds another head coaching job for the 2018 season.