AFC South: 5 things to look for in 2018
By Cody Rivera
3. Will coaching changes pay off for the Titans?
The Titans are hoping to improve on their 2017 campaign in which they finished the regular season at 9-7, snagged a wild card berth and knocked off the Kansas City Chiefs in the opening round of the playoffs. But Titans ownership felt that they achieved all they could under head coach Mike Mularkey last season, and that’s why they cut ties with Mularkey and replaced him with Mike Vrabel, who is also bringing a few new members to the staff.
It’s somewhat of a curious move, seeing as how Vrabel has no experience as head coach and Mularkey just won them a playoff game. But there are many who believe Tennessee actually overachieved with a coach like Mularkey last year. They just weren’t sold on him helping this team get any better, even though he hoped that playoff win would save his job.
The Titans hope that Vrabel can take them to the next level. He’s a defensive-minded coach, having spent many years as a linebacker for Bill Belichick’s Patriots, then spending time in a number of defensive coaching roles, including with the division rival Texans for the last three years. But Vrabel still hopes to run an offensive system in Tennessee that can help elevate quarterback Marcus Mariota to the next level.
Last year with Mularkey, Mariota was forced to work in a more conservative offense, not getting to throw the ball as much as he would’ve liked. Because of that, he suffered a little bit of a down year. Vrabel hopes to turn that around.
The Titans are taking a chance with their coaching changes, but they believe it’s a necessary gamble. If they can win more than nine games this year and maybe even win the division, then it will be considered a successful gamble.