Mike Vrabel interview requests have not come in yet, but they almost certainly will soon. The well-regarded HC is done after six Titans seasons, with Tennessee’s 2023 offseason laying the groundwork for Tuesday’s firing.
Confirming a previous report of Vrabel preferring Titans interim GM Ryan Cowden over Ran Carthon for the full-time post, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Jon Rexrode report Vrabel suggested to Amy Adams Strunk the team make Carthon the assistant GM due to not viewing former the ex-49ers No. 3 exec — behind John Lynch and Adam Peters — as ready for the GM role (subscription required). With Strunk not taking kindly to that suggestion, it does not appear she and Vrabel’s relationship bounced back.
Despite the report of a rift between Vrabel and Carthon, the latter was not involved in the firing, according to Russini and Rexrode. Carthon came to Tennessee after six years in San Francisco, being hired Jan. 17, 2023, and the former 49ers director of pro personnel interviewed for the Cardinals’ GM vacancy last year. Peters declined both Arizona and Tennessee’s requests; he is now a finalist for Washington’s director of football operations post.
The Titans began to tear down their previous power structure by firing Jon Robinson in December 2022, doing so 10 months after extending the GM through 2027. While Vrabel is not connected to pushing Robinson out, the six-year HC subsequently made his case for full roster control, according to The Athletic, believing he had done enough to earn it. Strunk did not want to give a head coach such power, citing issues with Jeff Fisher having control during the latter part of his Tennessee tenure.
This request and Vrabel’s stance on Carthon appears to have damaged his relationship with ownership, with Russini and Rexrode adding Strunk did not view the head coach as showing sufficient faith in her. This did not lead to Vrabel wanting out, however, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler noting the defense-oriented HC wanted to give the Titans another year — trade rumors notwithstanding — and that Strunk orchestrated this decision.
Strunk considered firing Vrabel last year, Russini and Rexrode note, but still believed in him as a head coach. Her goal was to start fresh at that point, though she had previously authorized a through-2025 extension for the former linebacker. Additionally, the Titans’ next draft will be the first one Carthon runs. Cowden is believed to have managed the Titans’ 2023 draft board for continuity purposes. Teams often move on from scouts and executives after the draft in order to not shake up things before big-picture investments are made, but it is a bit unusual another strong candidate for GM to wield such control. The Titans fired Cowden soon after the draft; he is now with the Giants.
The Titans’ 2023 draft looms large regarding their long-term future. The team was involved in trade talks with the Cardinals in Round 1, with the pre-draft target being C.J. Stroud, and did move up for Will Levis the following night. Carthon said Tuesday the team will hire a head coach that is interested in developing Levis and also alluded to first-round pick Peter Skoronski being an option (via Titans.com’s Jim Wyatt) to become the team’s long-term left tackle. The Titans kept Skoronski at guard during his rookie season, though the Northwestern standout played only tackle in college.
Fall developments also played a role in Vrabel’s ouster. Strunk had planned to keep Vrabel as recently as November, but it appears the last straw was the Titans’ 19-16 overtime loss to the Texans in Week 15. That is viewed as the point Strunk was ready to move on, Vrabel’s three straight playoff appearances (from 2019-21) notwithstanding. Strunk was also not thrilled about Vrabel’s trip to Foxborough during the Titans’ bye week, according to The Athletic. The Patriots inducted Vrabel into their Hall of Fame that week, and he was seen sitting with Robert Kraft during the ensuing Buffalo-New England game in October.
Strunk’s firing record, which includes canning Mike Mularkey after a divisional-round appearance, has led to an impulsive reputation. The Vrabel move, despite the Titans’ sub-.500 record over the past two years, will not help on that front. A number of teams are likely interested in Vrabel as a head coach option, and Bill Belichick‘s exit would put the Patriots — who have viewed Vrabel as a potential “home run” hire — atop that list. The Commanders, Chargers and Raiders could also have interest, Russini and Rexrode add. It will be interesting to see if Vrabel seeks major personnel input with his next team.
He’s like Bill B. Solid DC, boring offenses.
He actually wasn’t that good of a DC with the Titans. I don’t know what he does well specifically expertise wise.
Mike Vrabel: “I only sought full roster control because I wanted to see what it would be like to be Aaron Rodgers”.
So, is that why Carthon is not committed to Levis-he views him as Cowden’s guy? If that’s true, it seems pretty…I don’t know, petty? Are the Titans going to eject him and start a new rebuild now, just to get Carthon’s guys? Seems like it’s sort of self-defeating.
Now, this is a gossip report. None of this may be true. But if it is…well, in fairness to Vrabel, what has Strunk done to earn his faith? She’s fired everyone who’s had any hand in success for the franchise. I’m not saying that Vrabel should have controlled the roster, and Carthon perhaps will be a superior GM to the prior regime, but he hasn’t shown anything so far. Strunk really is betting on that happening, and hopefully for Titans fans, it works out.
who says carthon isn’t committed to Levis, reports say he wants a coach who is going to help develop Levis which would point to the exact opposite
He also said that it wasn’t a requirement, did he not?
“Carthon on new coach working with Levis: We are not going to make our whole search about Will Levis. there are other players who have to be coached. But we will bring someone in who is seasoned and willing to work with Levis.”
This is the whole quote from reporter Terry McCormack. I’ll agree that it doesn’t explicitly say that Carthon isn’t committed to Levis. That may be an incorrect assumption. It does, however, leave that door open. Carthon sounds like he could move on from Levis fairly easily if he wanted to. “Willing to work with” sounds much more voluntary than “needs to develop” or some similar expression. It almost sounds as if there could be a possibility that the coach would have to be persuaded. It’s as if the Titans are saying, “yeah, we’d like Levis to develop, but it’s not critical.” That’s my impression, in a vacuum, based on this quote. I’m not saying that Carthon necessarily wants to be rid of Levis, but it doesn’t seem like he’s his top priority either, which one would expect from a highly selected quarterback in a GM’s first draft that was supposed to take over as a starter.
agreed that it’s not going to be based on Levis but it certainly doesn’t give the impression that he’s eager to move on from him but who knows. truth be told he’s right either wayz this is going to be a whole rosterz too to bottom that needs coaching as it’s going to fairly young when the season starts
To be fair, who would commit to a second round pick who was up and down? HC has to coach the whole team though. Even with Bryce Young, Carolina needs a coach for that whole team, which would make him succeeding more likely.
To be fair, it was Carthon’s pick. Cowden might have done the board, but if Carthon didn’t like the pick, he shouldn’t have made it.
I get your point about Strunk possibly interfering-that’s why I wrote what I did. I don’t know if she had a hand in any of the personnel decisions roster wise, but my questions were about her role too. I questioned what Strunk has done to earn Vrabel’s (or anyone else’s) trust. Granted, as I’ve said before, this report seems speculative. That narrative may be false. The entire situation does raise a lot of questions, though, about where Titans go moving forward. Maybe Carthon’s plan works out, we’ll have to see.
He clearly wasn’t running the draft. That’s in the article. But the owner seems to be in on Levis, so it doesn’t matter. She mentioned him specifically. HC’s job sin’t to coach any position player, QB or anybody else. They’re supposed to hire someone to do that. That’s what I took from the statement you’re mentioning because everyone seems enamored with these QB coach HCs.
Furthermore, I think a lot of that is the owner’s call. People don’t realize how much these owners have their hands in these team’s personnel moves. I mean a lot of them are just fans too.
Vrabel is a clown. Mediocre coach demanding star treatment.
Yet he’d be the better choice than BB for teams in need of a QB. Less baggage than the Belichick posse…
It’s all moot in this league if you don’t have a QB.
An idiot named “Highway menace” calling a career football man “mediocre” is the clown. I bet you drain the $hit out of people.
I agree. Vrabel got to the playoffs with Ryan Tannehill as the quarterback. His teams always play hard and are competitive, including his final game victory against Jacksonville. Complete roster control for any coach , depending upon what, specifically, that means in Tennessee, is not a good idea for any head coach, but there’s a reason Mike Vrabel has earned the respect he has throughout the NFL. The “clown” here appears to be Amy Adams Strunk, who seems to have chosen simple differences in opinions with Vrabel as personal confrontations. I couldn’t believe it when I first saw the news the Titans fired Vrabel.
Struck is lost as last year’s Easter eggs. This continuing “story” is a pant load of bs of her own creation. Tepper in a dress.
Struck
Ahh spellcheck! Strunk!
Looking forward to seeing the Titans stink for the next 4 years.
Pete Carroll to Tennessee I think is a good match.
Hmmm. Interesting thought. Not sure he’d be up for Strunk’s soap opera culture though.
Vrabel deserved to be fired. His offense is archaic. Time to move on to someone with a little more creativity & who is willing to throw the ball down field.
Wake me up when Vrabel actually becomes as good as his ego believes he is.