While AFC South division rivals the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars began their playoff runs, the Tennessee Titans began scheduling interviews to fill their vacant head coach position.
Top candidates John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski have already found new homes this week, but an NFL insider has revealed the three candidates the Titans are pivoting to.
Who Are Tennessee’s Top Choices for Their Head Coach?
Senior ESPN insider Adam Schefter revealed on Sunday afternoon that the Tennessee Titans have narrowed their coaching search to their final three candidates.
“Tennessee’s three known HC finalists are Robert Saleh, Matt Nagy and Jeff Hafley,” Schefter wrote.
Those candidates include current San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, and Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
Former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was another one of their top candidates and had a second interview scheduled.
Tennessee’s three known HC finalists are Robert Saleh, Matt Nagy and Jeff Hafley. https://t.co/SMDz2N6qGx
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 18, 2026
However, the Atlanta Falcons did not let him leave Atlanta before agreeing to a deal. As a result, Saleh’s second interview was moved up to Monday.
All three of the Titans’ finalists have head-coaching experience in the NFL or college football.
Saleh was the head coach of the New York Jets, Nagy is the former head coach of the Chicago Bears, and Hafley was the head coach at Boston College before becoming Green Bay’s defensive coordinator.
What the Titans Seek To Gain from Each Candidate
Robert Saleh – 49ers Defensive Coordinator
Saleh accumulated a 23-45 overall record and never made the playoffs during his four seasons with the Jets. However, he turned around the worst defensive unit in the NFL in just one season.
According to PFSN’s Defensive Impact ratings, the Jets’ defense during Saleh’s first year ranked dead last in the NFL, with an impact score of 60.6.
Just one season later, the Jets defense earned a top-5 ranking with an 84.2 impact score. In 2023, the defense improved once more, posting an impact score of 89.9, ranking third in the league.
It was much the same in his first season back as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, having to deal with injuries to superstars Nick Bosa and Fred Warner and still helping Kyle Shanahan lead the team to a 12-5 record.
Matt Nagy – Chiefs Offensive Coordinator
Nagy accumulated a 34-31 overall record as head coach of the Bears, making the playoffs in his first season as head coach and winning 2018 NFL Coach of the Year honors.
That 2018 season, Nagy improved Chicago’s Offensive Impact rating (OFFi) from 27th in the league with a 68.1 rating in 2017 to 12th with an 80.9 rating in 2018.
Nagy was rehired as the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator shortly after being fired as the Bears’ head coach.
All of Kansas City’s OFFi has graded out higher than Nagy’s final three seasons with the Bears.
Jeff Hafley – Packers Defensive Coordinator
Hafley is in his second season as the Packers’ defensive coordinator after accumulating a 21-26 overall record as Boston College’s head coach.
Before his time at Boston College, Hafley was the co-defensive coordinator for Ohio State for one season and a defensive backs coach with the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In his two seasons as the Packers’ defensive coordinator, Hafley has led their defense to an impact score of 78.7 in 2024 and 74.4 in 2025. Those ranked 11th and 17th in the NFL, respectively.
The Titans’ second round of interviews will continue on Monday, with Saleh scheduled to be first.
