Munchak Makes Good Impression in First Year

There were a lot of Titans fans nervous when Bud Adams selected long time offensive line coach Mike Munchak to be the Titans new head coach. Many feared it would be the same style of coaching we’d seen from Jeff Fisher from so long and nothing would change. Munchak quickly changed that perception. He gutted the coaching staff and completely changed the lax mindset of the team. He wanted to make sure everyone knew he wasn’t Jeff Fisher’s clone.

The Tennessean posted an article earlier that took in the players account of how much of a change and success Munchak has been for the Titans.

"Via the Tennessean:“He definitely changed the culture,” fullback Ahmard Hall said. “Coach Munchak did things his way, with his own style, and guys really bought in. If anyone was skeptical at first, they have to feel better about things now. Things are definitely heading into the right direction.”"

Munchak took a team that had been destroyed by inside trouble and controversy, leading to a 6-10 record, and completely changed them. He lead the team to a 9-7 record, even though half the team had never worked together before a couple weeks prior to preseason, due to the lockout. He made a point to draft strong character players in his first draft, seven of which contributed in their first year.

"Via the Tennessean:Munchak was one of five first-year head coaches in 2011, and only two finished with a winning record. San Francisco Coach Jim Harbaugh’s team finished 13-3. The other three — Carolina’s Ron Rivera (6-10), Oakland’s Hue Jackson (8-8), and Cleveland’s Pat Shurmur (4-12) — finished with a combined record of 18-30.“He’s really been able to put his stamp on it,” linebacker Will Witherspoon said. “Coach Munchak has really done everything he needed to as a head coach in his first year. We’ve all played hard to make sure that we’re living up to that standard.”"

Munchak’s also made some changes to how the plays are called. The Titans converted an incredible amount of 4th downs due to Munchak’s belief in the team and willingness to make the call. That changed a lot of games for the Titans. He was also willing to put the ball in the QB’s hands, something Tennessee hasn’t seen in a while.

If anything is certain, it’s that Munchak is no Fisher and the Titans are finally looking like they’re headed in the right direction.

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