D Coordinator Change Rarely Goes Off Without Hitch

Dean Pees did not have a significant struggle in his first season the way his predecessors did

NASHVILLE – For many, Dean Pees’ stint as defensive coordinator ended too soon.

Two years, though, has become the norm for that position. Pees’ recent retirement after two years on Mike Vrabel’s staff made him the third straight and fourth of the last five Tennessee defensive coordinators to be replaced – for one reason or another – after just two seasons.

Pees replaced Dick LeBeau, who had the job for two years (2016-17). LeBeau replaced Ray Horton who had the job for two years (2014-15). Chuck Cecil also had the job for two years (2009-10) before it went to Jerry Gray, who lasted three whole seasons (2011-13) before he needed to find something else.

The Titans have yet to name a replacement for Pees.

“There's change every year,” coach Mike Vrabel told the team’s website this week. “The players, there's going to be turnover on the roster. There's going to be turnover like there is every year. And the coaching staff, you know, I have to take some time and be able to do what's best for the team to be able to identify who's the best person and what's the best situation for our players.”

While it might be a constant, change is not easy. Not when it comes to Titans defensive coordinators, at least.

The person Vrabel hires will be the franchise’s eighth defensive coordinator of the Titans era (1999-present) and most of those who have had the job had issues in at least one area their first year on the job.

For example, Jim Schwartz took over for Gregg Williams in 2001 and that year the Titans finished 31st in the NFL in pass defense (the league had just 31 teams at the time). It did not help that injuries decimated the secondary depth that year.

In 2009, when Cecil replaced Schwartz, Tennessee again finished 31st in pass defense. In 2014, when Horton replaced Gray, the defense was 31st against the run. When LeBeau took over for Horton in 2016, the Titans ranked 30th against the pass.

Schwartz, Cecil and Horton all saw their units finish 25th or worse in points allowed in their first seasons.

Pees, who had been a defensive coordinator for two other NFL teams before he arrived in Tennessee, managed to avoid any of those struggles in his first season. The Titans finished in the top 10 in pass defense (sixth) and scoring defense (third) in 2018. They were worst, statistically speaking, against the run, an area in which they finished 18th.

It was the only time that the defense did not finish outside of the top 20 in at least one of those three categories in its first year under a new coordinator.

Vrabel has said that continuity is important and that he plans to be patient in his search for someone who is familiar with Pees’ way of doing things. There has been a report that the head coach is weighing how much more involved he should be with the defense in 2020, which has led to speculation that Vrabel could even be the one who calls the plays on defense.

Whatever happens, history suggests the transition won’t be without a hiccup in some area.

“I know this, I won't be one of these guys that second guesses everybody, because that's what it's awfully easy to do,” Pees said. “Nobody knows what it's like until you're in that position.”