Most of the focus in the coming months surrounding the Tennessee Titans will be on their search for a new head coach. According to recent reports, they've already started requesting interviews with assistants around the league.
But the staff that the new coach hires is just as important. We've seen time and time again in the NFL that a subpar coordinator can tank the career of an otherwise competent head coach. The Titans will not only have to nail the head coach hire, but they'll also have to find quality coordinators.
The perfect solution just became available. The Arizona Cardinals fired head coach Jonathan Gannon on Monday. Despite how the end of his tenure in Arizona went, Gannon could be an ideal fit for the Titans.
Titans could make Jonathan Gannon their next defensive coordinator
The Titans lack talent on both sides of the ball. They need to hire a staff that can make the most out of a limited roster. Gannon has built a career from doing just that. In 2024, despite having one of the least-talented defenses in football at his disposal, Gannon was able to lead the Cardinals to a top-12 finish in defensive DVOA (defensive-adjusted value over average). His units have never quite been dominant, but he's found ways to field solid defenses in less-than-ideal circumstances.
In recent years, the Cardinals have been known for using unorthodox defensive looks to put their star players in positions to make plays. These flashy coverage looks were primarily credited to defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, but Gannon was a major part of that transition. He could bring a similar flavor to a Titans defense that could benefit from making opposing quarterbacks second-guess themselves.
The last time Gannon was a defensive coordinator, he led one of the NFL's most dominant defenses. He helped the Philadelphia Eagles to an elite finish in 2022, a season that ended in a narrow Super Bowl loss. After that campaign, he became one of the most coveted coaching candidates in the sport.
Sure, it didn't work out for him as a head coach, but he's done nothing to suggest that he's lost the ability to lead a quality defense.
Time will tell who takes the reins for the Titans. Whenever the new head coach arrives, especially if they're an offensive specialist, they should strongly consider adding Gannon to their staff. He could play a major role in resurrecting this franchise.