List of Tennessee Titans head coaches

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The Titans have played in Nissan Stadium (formerly LP Field) since 1999. LP Field 2009 crop.jpg
The Titans have played in Nissan Stadium (formerly LP Field) since 1999.

The Tennessee Titans, previously known as the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Oilers, are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are a member of the South division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Tennessee Titans have had 18 head coaches in its franchise history. As the Houston Oilers based in Houston, Texas, the team began playing in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). The Oilers won two AFL championships before joining the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL merger. The team relocated to Tennessee in 1997 and played in Memphis for one season before moving to Nashville. For two seasons, the team was known as the Tennessee Oilers before changing its name to the Titans in 1999. [1]

Contents

Head coach Jeff Fisher led the Titans to their only Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXXIV following the 1999 season. He continued his success with playoff appearances in 2000, 2002, and 2003. His coaching career began to decline and, from 2004 to 2010, his only playoff appearances included 2007 and 2008. In January 2011, it was announced that Fisher and the Titans had mutually parted ways. Fisher's tenure at head coach from 1994 to 2010 included six playoff appearances, one AFC Championship appearance, and one Super Bowl appearance.

Following Fisher, the Titans promoted former player and longtime offensive line coach Mike Munchak to head coach. He missed the playoffs from 2011 to 2013 before being fired in January 2014. Ken Whisenhunt became head coach shortly after, and tied a franchise worst 2–14 record in 2014. Mike Mularkey, who was originally hired as tight ends coach in 2014 and promoted to assistant head coach in 2015, replaced Whisenhunt on an interim basis after a 1–6 start in 2015. Mularkey was retained as head coach and led the Titans to two 9–7 seasons, including a playoff appearance in 2017.

Mularkey and the Titans agreed to part ways in January 2018. Former NFL player and coach, Mike Vrabel, was hired as head coach soon after. In his first four seasons, Vrabel led the Titans to an AFC Championship appearance in 2019, back-to-back AFC South division titles in 2020 and 2021, and earned the #1 seed for the AFC in the 2021–22 NFL playoffs. For his team's performance in 2021, Vrabel was named that season's NFL Coach of the Year. After back-to-back losing seasons in 2022 and 2023, Vrabel was fired by the Titans in January 2024. Shortly afterwards, former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan was hired as the franchise's 20th head coach.

Key

#Number of coaches [a]
GCGames coached
WWins
LLosses
TTies
Win%Winning percentage
†Elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a coach
‡Elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player
*Spent entire NFL head coaching career with the Oilers/Titans

Coaches

Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the 2023 NFL regular season.

#ImageNameTerm [b] Regular seasonPlayoffsAchievementsReference
GCWLTWin%GCWLWin%
Houston Oilers
1 Lou Rymkus, American football tackle, on a 1950 football card.jpg Lou Rymkus* 1960–1961*191171.6051101.000 UPI AFL Coach of the Year (1960)
AFL Championship (1960) 		[1] [2]
2 Wally Lemm.jpg Wally Lemm [c] 1961 99001.0001101.000 UPI AFL Coach of the Year (1961)
AFL Championship (1961) 		[1] [3]
3 Pop Ivy 1961.JPG Pop Ivy 1962–1963 2817110.607101.000 [4]
4 Sammy Baugh 1946.jpg Sammy Baugh ‡ 1964 144100.286000– [5]
5 Hugh Taylor - 1948 Bowman.jpg Hugh Taylor* 1965*14491.321000– [6]
– Wally Lemm.jpg Wally Lemm [c] 1966–1970 7028384.429202.000 [1] [3]
6 Ed Hughes* 1971*14491.321000– [7]
7 Bill Peterson (1961).jpg Bill Peterson* 1972–1973*191180.053000– [8]
8 Sid Gillman 1959.jpg Sid Gillman † 1973–1974 238150.348000– UPI NFL Coach of the Year (1974) [9] [10]
9 Bum Philips with G.H.W. Bush cropped.jpg Bum Phillips 1975–1980 9055350.611743.571 [11]
10 Ed Biles* 1981–1983*318230.258000– [12]
11 Chuck Studley* 1983*10280.200000– [13]
12 Hugh Campbell* 1984–1985*308220.267000– [14]
13 JerryGlanvilleFeb09.jpg Jerry Glanville 1985–1989 6533320.508523.400 [15]
14 Jack Pardee as Houston Cougars head football coach.jpg Jack Pardee 1990–1994 7443310.581514.200 [16]
15 Jeff Fisher Texans vs TItans 2010.jpg Jeff Fisher [d] 1994–1996 3816220.421000– [17]
Tennessee Oilers
– Jeff Fisher Texans vs TItans 2010.jpg Jeff Fisher [d] 1997–1998 3216160.500000– [17]
Tennessee Titans
– Jeff Fisher Texans vs TItans 2010.jpg Jeff Fisher [d] 1999–2010 192110820.5731156.455 [17]
16 Mike Munchak.png Mike Munchak ‡* 2011–2013*4822260.458000– [18]
17 Ken Whisenhunt 2014.jpg Ken Whisenhunt 2014–2015 233200.130000– [19]
18 Mike Mularkey 2012.jpg Mike Mularkey 2015–2017 4120210.488211.500 [20]
19 Coach Mike Vrabel.jpg Mike Vrabel* 2018–2023 9954450.545523.400 AP Coach of the Year (2021) [21]
20 Brian Callahan Titans HC Announcement (cropped).png Brian Callahan* 2024–present0000–000– [22]

Notes

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Cowher</span> American football player, coach, and analyst (born 1957)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Mularkey</span> American football player and coach (born 1961)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Vrabel</span> American football player and coach (born 1975)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Fisher</span> American football player and coach (born 1958)

Jeffrey Michael Fisher is an American football coach and former cornerback and return specialist. He served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 22 seasons, primarily with the Houston / Tennessee Oilers / Titans franchise. Fisher coached the Oilers / Titans from 1994 to 2010 and the St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams from 2012 to 2016. He is currently the interim commissioner of the Arena Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Whisenhunt</span> American football player and coach (born 1962)

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The Tennessee Titans are the professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the then Houston, Texas, team began play in 1960 as a charter member of the AFL American Football League. The Houston Oilers won two AFL championships before joining the NFL as part of the AFL–NFL merger. In 1999, the Tennessee Titans played their most memorable season since joining the NFL, when they made it all the way to Super Bowl XXXIV, but they fell, at the 1 yard line, to the Kurt Warner-led St. Louis Rams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jurrell Casey</span> American football player (born 1989)

Jurrell Juel Casey is an American former professional football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans, and was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avery Williamson</span> American football player (born 1992)

Avery Milton Williamson is a former American football linebacker. He was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football at Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jayon Brown</span> American football player (born 1995)

Jayon Lee Brown is an American football middle linebacker who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft, after playing college football at UCLA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Smith (American football, born 1982)</span> American football player and coach (born 1982)

Arthur William Smith is an American football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2021 to 2023 and as an assistant coach for the Tennessee Titans during the 2010s.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "History". Tennessee Titans. Archived from the original on January 11, 2008. Retrieved May 25, 2008.
  2. ↑ "Lou Rymkus Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  3. 1 2 "Wally Lemm Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Pop Ivy Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  5. ↑ "Sammy Baugh Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Hugh Taylor Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  7. ↑ "Ed Hughes Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Bill Peterson Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  9. ↑ "Legendary Coach Sid Gillman Dies at 91". Pro Football Hall of Fame. January 3, 2003. Retrieved May 25, 2008.
  10. ↑ "Sid Gillman Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Bum Phillips Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  12. ↑ "Ed Biles Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  13. ↑ "Chuck Studley Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  14. ↑ "Hugh Campbell Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  15. ↑ "Jerry Glanville Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  16. ↑ "Jack Pardee Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  17. 1 2 3 "Jeff Fisher Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2008.
  18. ↑ "Titans hire Mike Munchak as coach". ESPN.com. February 7, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Ken Whisenhunt Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Mike Mularkey Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Mike Vrabel Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Titans Hire Brian Callahan for Head Coaching Job". www.tennesseetitans.com. Retrieved January 24, 2024.

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