Eight head-coaching candidates who make the most sense for Titans

National Football League

Published Jan. 16, 2024 2:15 p.m. ET

The Tennessee Titans‘ search for a new head coach is in its second week after last Tuesday’s stunning firing of Mike Vrabel.

And while we don’t know the exact characteristics that Tennessee is looking for in his replacement — general manager Ran Carthon was mum in regards to the franchise’s vision — we know that whoever is tabbed must be able to upgrade an offense that has regressed for three years and retool a defense that has issues everywhere outside of the defensive line.

Who are the best candidates for the task? Here are eight names to watch as the Titans’ next coach:

Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik

Slowik is not responsible for C.J. Stroud’s greatness, but the 36-year-old play-caller has played an integral role in developing and empowering the No. 2 overall pick into superstardom. Considering that the Titans have a promising young quarterback of their own in Will Levis that they want to develop, Slowik’s work with Stroud should be one of the most appealing parts of the former’s resume to Tennessee’s brass.

The Titans should have a great feel of who Slowik is, as he and Carthon were both with the 49ers from 2017-22. Slowik, who was San Francisco’s offensive passing game coordinator last season, had a strong audition for head-coaching vacancies in Houston’s 45-14 wild-card rout of Cleveland, which boasted the NFL’s top defense.

The Texans ranked 30th in scoring in 2021 and ‘22, and 31st and 32nd in total offense each of the last two years, respectively. With Slowik, Houston has jumped up to 13th in scoring and 12th in yards, boasting one of the NFL’s most explosive passing attacks.

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Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson

For a Titans offense that has struggled as much as it has, there might not be a more appealing head coach candidate than Johnson, who has brought out the most in Jared Goff and has coordinated a top-five scoring offense in Detroit in back-to-back years.

Of course, Johnson couldn’t bring with him the Lions’ talent — Detroit is particularly loaded on the offensive line, where Tennessee has struggled most — but his detailed nature, communication skills and diverse offensive background could make him a strong hire for the Titans, who grew stale offensively under Vrabel. In his 11 years as an NFL assistant, Johnson has worked directly with quarterbacks, tight ends and receivers. He was Detroit’s passing game coordinator in 2021 prior to getting elevated to offensive coordinator the following season.

A hot candidate, Johnson will undoubtedly be one of if not the most expensive head-coaching prospect. But that might not scare Strunk, considering she was willing to part ways with Vrabel — a proven head coach — wanting more and the pressure to have an attractive team for the Titans’ new incoming stadium, which is slated to open in 2027.

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Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn

There are promising young quarterbacks throughout the AFC South, headlined by Stroud. So if the Titans do go for a defensive-minded coach, one with a strong history in pass defense should be a priority.

Quinn fits the mold.

He’s been coordinating a great Cowboys’ defense that has ranked in the top seven in points allowed in each of the last three years. He was also Pete Carroll’s defensive coordinator in Seattle in 2013-14, the peak years of the Legion of Boom.

Quinn is reportedly a strong candidate to return to the Seahawks as coach. On paper, he’s a natural successor to Carroll. But his defensive pedigree and previous head coaching experience (Falcons, 2015-20) make him a logical option for the Titans.

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Las Vegas Raiders interim coach Antonio Pierce

Piere doesn’t have the experience of other candidates on this list — he’s only been a linebackers coach in the NFL (2022-present) — but he did a stellar job as Las Vegas’ interim coach this season following Josh McDaniels’ firing, breathing life into the franchise and bringing it into postseason contention down the stretch.

He guided the Raiders to a 42-point thrashing of the Chargers and a narrow victory in Kansas City in back-to-back weeks. His leadership ability is undeniable. He’s gotten the backing of Raiders stars like Davante Adams and Maxx Crosby to return as the permanent coach for the Raiders, which speaks to his ability to build culture — and why the Titans are interested. He interviewed for Tennessee’s opening last week.

Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald

Macdonald, who has already done a head coach interview with the Titans, has a strong case to be Tennessee’s top defensive candidate.

At 36, having coordinated one of the NFL’s best and most talented defenses over the past couple of years, he’s widely regarded as one of the brightest young coaching minds in football. He also has expertise coaching the linebacker spot and the secondary, the two weak spots of Tennessee’s defense last season. Before coordinating the defense at the University of Michigan in 2021, Macdonald served as the Ravens’ defensive backs coach (2017) and linebackers coach (2017-20).

There is an appeal to pairing a young, defensive-minded coach with a young quarterback. The Stroud-DeMeco Ryans tandem in Houston has been a massive hit, for instance.

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Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan

Bengals coach Zac Taylor is the team’s offensive play-caller, but Callahan has had significant input in Cincinnati’s offensive game plan. The Bengals’ offensive coordinator since 2019, the 39-year-old played an integral role in Joe Burrow’s development into a franchise quarterback and getting backup Jake Browning up to speed this past season when Burrow was ruled out for the year. That should be one of the most appealing parts of his resume for the Titans.

In his first regular-season action of his career, Browning had the Bengals in playoff contention before eventually falling short, leading qualified passers with a 70.4 percent completion rate for 1,936 yards and 12 touchdowns against seven interceptions in nine appearances.

San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks

The Titans already pulled from one of the NFL’s best-run organizations, the 49ers, in hiring Carthon last January. They can get more from San Francisco in Wilks, the play-caller of one of the best defenses in the league. The Niners ranked third in points allowed and eighth in total defense in the regular season.

After Matt Rhule was fired as Panthers coach after a 1-4 start to 2022, Wilks — then Carolina’s defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach — stepped in admirably as interim coach to lead the team to an impressive 6-6 finish considering the circumstances.

Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris

The 47-year-old Morris guided the defense of a Rams team that was much better than anyone expected. Two of LA’s top three sack leaders were third-round rookies (defensive tackle Kobie Turner, outside linebacker Byron Young), speaking to the impressive development under Morris — and what will be needed in Nashville, with the Titans set to rebuild.

NFL stars like Jalen Ramsey have spoken glowingly of Morris’ credentials. The Bucs’ coach from 2009-11, when he went 17-31, Morris has paid his dues to deserve another head coach opportunity after stops as an assistant in Washington (2012-14) and Atlanta (2015-20) before landing in LA.

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.