Titans Fire Mike Vrabel; Columbus Next?

The Tennessee Titans have fired former Ohio State Buckeyes great Mike Vrabel. Could a return to Columbus be in his future?

Another NFL head coach has been fired after a poor season, and this time, its a former Ohio State Buckeye.

On Tuesday, the Tennessee Titans fired head coach Mike Vrabel after going 6-11 and losing four of his last six games at the helm. Vrabell spent six years as the Titans coach.

During his time in Tennessee, Vrabel went 54-45, winning two-straight division titles in 2020 and 2021, going 11-5 and 12-5 in those seasons respectively. He also took the Titans to the playoffs in three straight seasons.

However, in 2022 and 2023, the Texans took a major step back, going 7-10 and 6-11 in those two seasons, and missing the playoffs in both.

Vrabel played defensive end at Ohio State from 1993-1996, amassing 36 sacks over four seasons, and being named a consensus first-team All-American in his senior season.

Vrabel was also named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year in each of his final two seasons, becoming just the second player to win the award twice. 

Vrabel eventually went on to a long career in the NFL, playing with the Steelers, Patriots, and Chiefs, and winning three Super Bowls with New England. 

After his playing career ended, Vrabel made the move into coaching and has been largely successful over that time, being recognized as one of the top defensive coaches in today's game. 

So with Vrabel now a free agent, and the Buckeyes beginning to make changes to the staff, could Vrabel make a return to Columbus?

Ohio State Safeties Coach Perry Eliano Will Not Return Next Season

It is certainly something to consider. The Buckeyes recently just moved on from safeties coach Perry Eliano, and are likely to make a handful of other changes as well on the staff. 

That said, even if they don't, hiring someone with Vrabel's resume and expertise as an analyst or in an advisory role, could pay huge dividends down the line. 

It is not an entirely uncommon thing to see either, with coaches like Steve Sarkisian at Texas using the same strategy to slingshot him into his next job. Sarkisian was fired from USC in 2015, before becoming an analyst for Alabama in 2016, and then being named the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons in 2017. 

He then became the offensive coordinator at Alabama before being named the head coach at Texas, who he just led to the College Football Playoff.

Former Texans coach Bill O'Brien also moved to the college game after being let go by the Texans, being hired as the Alabama offensive coordinator. 

After a successful time in Tuscaloosa, O'Brien was named the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots last January. 

Either way, Vrabel is a tremendous coach and will land on his feet one way or the other. 

That said, a return to Columbus in some capacity could end up being something special for all involved.