Wherever Robert Saleh goes, great defenses follow, and the Tennessee Titans are going to be no exception to that pattern.
Every coach or player who has worked with Saleh has raved about his ability as a coach and coordinator, but being a head coach means that he can't solely focus on defense. Sure, he will design the defense and call the plays, but he isn't going to be able to spend every offensive possession working with the defense to make down-to-down adjustments.
For those details, he needs to assemble a defensive coaching staff he trusts to do that crucial work. That process started on Monday when he officially hired Aaron Whitecotton to be the team's new defensive line coach, per Paul Kuharsky.
Whitecotton's most obvious claim to fame is his work with Quinnen Williams, where Williams himself said that Whitecotton was the key to his growth.
“I think anyone can look at the resume. Before I had Whitecotton I was ascending to be a good DT. When [he] came into my life I became an All-Pro — a Pro Bowler."
He has also helped develop and get the most out of (potential trade target) Jermaine Johnson, Will McDonald, and Bryce Huff, as well as several others.
Titans HC Robert Saleh should hire a DB specialist as his defensive coordinator to complete his defense
It would seem that the defensive line is in good hands with Whitecotton, and linebackers have always been Saleh's speciality. However, the Titans still need to find an elite mind to coach the defensive backs, and that is where it is very important to remember the value of Saleh being the defensive playcaller.
With the play-calling taken care of, Saleh can target some of the best defensive backs coaches in the NFL and offer them the defensive coordinator job as a promotion on paper, without forcing them to take on too many responsibilities.
Out of the names that the Titans have interviewed for the defensive coordinator position, two stand out as excellent options to round out this staff.
The first and most proven of the two is Al Harris. Harris is the defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator for the Chicago Bears. His group led the NFL in interceptions, with six different defensive backs recording at least one pick, with Titans legend Kevin Byard recording seven himself.
This is a pattern of behavior for Harris, who got the most out of guys like Daron Bland and Trevon Diggs during his time with the Dallas Cowboys.
Harris could end up back with Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh because he played and coached for him in the past, but he also has a connection to the Titans. Harris got his true coaching start with the Kansas City Chiefs when Mike Borgonzi and that staff were developing the foundation for that dynasty.
If the Titans can't get Harris, another name they have interviewed who fits the bill is Houston Texans secondary coach Dino Vasso.
Vasso was another coach whose time in Kansas City overlapped with Borgonzi, but he didn't really get a job as a true position coach until he was hired by David Culley's Texans to coach cornerbacks in 2021. He retained his job when Lovie Smith took over the job in 2022, and then again when DeMeco Ryans took the job in 2023.
His work was strong enough to earn him a promotion from cornerbacks coach to secondary coach in 2024, and he has been part of one of the NFL's best defenses since then.
While Harris is a more proven coach, landing Vasso would also round out this defensive staff perfectly. Either hire would be great for the Titans because it would help maximize the current talent on the defensive side of the ball, and their experience would give Saleh more time to spend focusing on the bigger picture.