Report: Titans Set to Fill One Staff Opening

Chris Harris is the choice to replace secondary coach Anthony Midget and to help coordinate the pass defense ... if he does not get a better opportunity elsewhere.

Christoper Hanewinckel/USA Today Sports

The Tennessee Titans reportedly have made a decision related to one of the openings on their coaching staff.

They simply must wait on that person to make up his mind.

The Titans intend to hire Chris Harris as their new pass defense coordinator/cornerbacks coach, according to an NFL.com report Saturday. That report noted, however, that Harris, a nine-year veteran of the NFL coaching ranks, remains in the mix for multiple defensive coordinator openings across the league.

Currently, there are six teams that in search of a new defensive coordinator.

The #Titans plan to hire Chris Harris as their defensive pass game coordinator/cornerbacks coach, per sources.

Harris, who spent the past three seasons with the #Commanders, remains in play for defensive coordinator jobs elsewhere, too. A highly respected assistant.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 21, 2023

If hired, Harris would replace Anthony Midget, one of four assistant coaches who were fired after the season. Midget spent the last three years as Tennessee’s secondary coach.

Harris has been Washington’s defensive backs coach since 2020 and before that spent four seasons as assistant secondary coach with the Los Angeles Chargers. The Commanders had just nine interceptions this season but ranked fourth in pass defense with an average of 191.3 passing yards allowed per game.

The 40year-old got his start as a defensive quality control coach with the Chicago Bears in 2013, immediately after he retired as a player.

A sixth-round pick by Chicago in the 2005 NFL Draft, Harris had an eight-year career as a safety with four organizations (Chicago, Carolina, Detroit and Jacksonville). He started 88 of the 101 games he played and notched 16 interceptions, including at least one in every year except his last. He led the NFL with eight forced fumbles in 2007, his first season with the Panthers, and had 14 forced fumbles for his career. He returned to the Bears in 2010 and was named a second-team All-Pro.

In addition to Midget, the Titans also need to replace offensive coordinator Todd Downing, offensive line coach Keith Carter and offensive skill assistant Erik Frazier.

Additionally, senior defensive assistant Jim Schwartz was named defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns this week. It remains to be seen if the team will fill that role, do something different with it or not replace Schwartz at all.