NFL Coaching Candidates Who Could Be High on a Titans Wish List

Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon will oversee a search to replace coach Mike Vrabel. There will be competition for the right leader. Six NFL teams now have vacancies.

NASHVILLE — There are six NFL coaching vacancies now that the Tennessee Titans have dismissed Mike Vrabel. The names populating candidate lists run from famous winners (Bill Belichick and Jim Harbaugh) to lesser-known but widely respected offensive and defensive coordinators.

The next Titans coach will inherit a roster in transformation. The Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry is likely gone. Rookie quarterback Will Levis will need expert instruction as well as better blockers to protect him.

"I believe the Tennessee Titans can and will be a premier National Football League franchise," Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk said via email Tuesday. That charge now falls clearly to first-year general manager Ran Carthon, who will lead the search for Vrabel's replacement.

Here are some of the coaches whom Carthon might consider:

JIM HARBAUGH
Age: 60
Current job: coach, University of Michigan
Claim to fame: won college football national championship Monday night

BILL BELICHICK
Age: 71
Current job: coach, New England Patriots
Claim to fame: six-time Super Bowl winner 

BRIAN FLORES
Age: 42
Current job: defensive coordinator, Minnesota Vikings
Claim to fame: Started rebuild of Miami Dolphins

BOBBY SLOWIK
Age: 36
Current job: offensive coordinator, Houston Texans
Claim to fame: Helped the Texans become a playoff team with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud

Other coaches under consideration are: Frank Smith, 42, offensive coordinator, Miami Dolphins; Patrick Graham, 44, defensive coordinator, Los Angeles Raiders; Anthony Weaver, 43, associate head coach, Baltimore Ravens; Steve Wilks, 54, defensive coordinator, San Francisco 49ers; Aaron Glenn, 51, defensive coordinator, Detroit Lions; Brian Callahan, 39, offensive coordinator, Cincinnati Bengals; Dave Canales, 42, offensive coordinator, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Ben Johnson, 37, offensive coordinator, Detroit Lions; Mike MacDonald, 36, defensive coordinator, Baltimore Ravens; Todd Monken, 57, offensive coordinator, Baltimore Ravens; Raheem Morris, 47, defensive coordinator, Los Angeles Rams; and Dan Quinn, 53, defensive coordinator, Dallas Cowboys.

Related stories 

• VRABEL OUT AS TITANS COACH: on Tuesday morning after six seasons at the helm of the Nashville franchise. Owner Amy Adams Strunk made the call. She said the "decision was as difficult as any I've made as controlling owner." CLICK HERE
• TITANS DRAFT DAILY: With the No. 7 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Tennessee can address their offensive line weaknesses. CLICK HERE
• MY TWO CENTS: If firing Mike Vrabel is about control, how do the Titans get it right from here? All eyes are on general manager Ran Carthon. CLICK HERE