It may be too early in the season for most franchises to be thinking about the upcoming coaching carousel. That's not the case for the Tennessee Titans. While there is reason to believe things will stabilize and improve under interim head coach Mike McCoy, fans must look to the future for sources of meaningful hope in Nashville.
Several names have already been mentioned in connection with the first head coach opening in the NFL this season, including Matt Nagy, Arthur Smith, and Lou Anarumo. Although these men have proven to be capable coordinators, in searching for the future head coach of the Titans, this list can be underwhelming.
It takes more than one man to create a successful coaching staff. So with that in mind, we took things a step further and built out our ideal coaching staff, from coordinators up.
Head Coach: Robert Saleh - 49ers Defensive Coordinator
Given that the future of the Titans will be largely determined by the development and success of quarterback Cam Ward, we can understand why many fans are clamoring for an offensive-minded head coach with a reputation as a quarterback guru. Given how well the last the last offensive-minded "quarterback guru" worked out, that might not be the best path.
Candidates such as Joe Brady and Mike McCarthy are intriguing, but when hiring a new head coach, teams overwhelmingly go the opposite direction of the one they just fired. It is also worth noting that plenty of head coaches with defensive backgrounds have been successful with young quarterbacks in recent years.
A former head coach with an overall win percentage under 40% may not be the most obvious candidate, but anyone who blames Saleh for the failure of the Jets has not paid attention to football for the last decade or so. Following his first season in New York, Saleh seemed to have the Jets on the right path to contention in the AFC. We all know what happened at that point, but just to recap: they traded for Aaron Rodgers, made him the de facto GM, and devolved into the kind of circus only the Jets could create. In fact, the biggest mistake Saleh could be blamed for was accepting the job as head coach of the Jets.
Saleh quietly returned as the 49ers' DC last offseason, and fans were quickly reminded of his presence, leadership, and defensive brilliance in a prime time beatdown of the talented Falcons offense in Week 7. The success of his unit was made all the more impressive by the lack of obvious talent and experience on that side of the ball. Saleh possesses the leadership and experience that were lacking in Brian Callahan, and compared to the dysfunction of the Jets, the Titans' drama should be nothing.
Offensive Coordinator: Mike McDaniel - Dolphins Head Coach
Mike McDaniel never quite fit the mold of an NFL head coach. He is quirky, short, and sarcastic. Although he is exactly the kind of person football nerds can relate to, it was always going to be an uphill battle for him in the coaching ranks. Despite quickly turning around a fledgling franchise, it seems like there will be little patience now that the wheels are coming off in Miami.
However, despite his shortcomings as the coach of a franchise, no one can question his offensive brilliance. Prior to his arrival, Tua Tagovailoa was widely considered a bust, and the Dolphins lacked any real identity. His offensive scheme was semi-revolutionary and immediately mimicked by many in the copycat league.
Especially if the Titans go the defensive route for the head coach, the offensive coordinator hire will become all the more critical. The Saleh-McDaniel connection goes all the way back to when both were young, unknown assistants under Gary Kubiak in Houston, and a reunion in Nashville could provide the perfect foundation for a rebuilding team with a young quarterback.
Defensive Coordinator: Jerod Mayo - Former Patriots Head Coach
If we're sticking with the 49ers theme, Gus Bradley or Daniel Bullocks would be the obvious choices here. But in thinking outside the box, both Bradley and Bullocks would more likely be in line to succeed Saleh in San Fran than follow him to Nashville. Additionally, given that Saleh would effectively be running the defense, we like the idea of someone who would provide a different perspective and experience than the purely Shanahanian one.
Jerod Mayo does continue our theme of talented and successful assistants who flamed out once in the big chair, but the Patriots chose him as Belichick's successor for good reason. His background as a former Volunteer and the poetic nature of his joining the Titans after being fired in favor of Mike Vrabel add a little more sweetness to this idea.
Special Teams Coordinator: John Fassel - Titans Special Teams Coordinator
Dennard Wilson has been decent, but John Fassel is the only coordinator currently on-staff who definitely deserves to stay. Tennessee's special teams went from massive liability last year to surprisingly competent once "Bones" Fassel took over. He deserves no blame for the failures of his former boss, and we would love to see him continue building this unit.