According to Pro Football Network Insider Ben Allbright, the Tennessee Titans are considering all options for their next defensive coordinator, including head coach Mike Vrabel himself. Turron Davenport of ESPN is also reporting that the general feeling with the organization is that Vrabel isn’t likely to name a defensive coordinator. This comes on the heels of Dean Pees retiring after a 47-year coaching career, with the past two years as the Titans defensive coordinator.
Pees, a respected veteran, won’t be easy to replace. His Titans defense was the third overall unit in the NFL in 2018 and the twelfth overall unit in 2019. The defense was a big reason for Tennessee’s dominance this season, including an AFC Championship appearance.
But Vrabel has an extensive background on the defensive side of the ball as well, and his experience will be an asset to him, assuming he takes on the added responsibility. Before Vrabel began his coaching career in the NFL, he was the Ohio State linebackers coach in 2011 and their defensive line coach in 2012 and 2013. There, he helped prepare NFL Draft prospects such as Johnathan Hankins and John Simon for success.
From there, Vrabel would jump to the NFL and was a successful linebackers coach for the Houston Texans for three seasons. During that time, he proved that could develop players in a hands-on coaching role. That would help him get promoted to the defensive coordinator post in 2017, which he would then parlay into the head coach position with the Titans in 2018.
Can Vrabel handle both the head coach and defensive coordinator role?
If Vrabel takes on the added responsibility, he would bring continuity, comfort, and an affinity for hands-on work to the Titans defensive coordinator post, qualities that are valuable to players. However, there should be a measured concern in whether or not Vrabel can handle this on top of his head coaching duties.
Some head coaches who assume multiple roles can stretch themselves too thin and lower the quality of their production in both areas. The last time Vrabel assumed the position of defensive coordinator – which was his only job – his Texans’ defense went from being near the top ten in the least points allowed to last place in the league with the most points allowed.
Generating turnovers also proved to be an issue for Vrabel’s unit in Houston, but it’s worth noting that Vrabel’s 2017 group underwent substantial personnel turnover. This included injuries to J.J. Watt and the loss of cornerback A.J. Bouye to the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he’d earn a Pro Bowl berth that year.
At the very least, Vrabel can provide the Titans with comfort at defensive coordinator. And because he’s been the head coach for the past two seasons, he may have a better understanding of Tennessee’s defensive personnel group as a whole compared to his time with the Texans, when he was only the linebackers coach before being promoted.
But did Vrabel’s struggles in Houston help him develop as a coach? His defense in Tennessee, with the input of Pees, has been impressive. However, his time as a play-caller in Houston was uninspiring at best, albeit a limited sample size.
This generates a concern that Vrabel, who’s proven himself to be well-suited for the head coaching role in its individuality, might not benefit, or cause the team to benefit, from extending his scope of work to the defensive coordinator position.
A big decision for the Titans with a limited championship window
While it’s possible that Vrabel doesn’t name a defensive coordinator and chooses to maintain the role moving forward, it is also likely that the Titans’ head coach could continue to mull over other options. There are a number of potential candidates on the open market, including former Seahawks defensive coordinator and Cowboys passing game coordinator Kris Richard, who garnered some head coaching consideration during the 2020 cycle.
Whatever the case, the Titans defensive coordinator situation is still in flux according to Allbright, and there are still several possibilities up in the air. Tennessee could opt to bring in an outside hire, but as evidenced earlier, indications are pointing to Vrabel taking on the added responsibility with Pees retiring.
The team has time to make a decision and the talent on the roster to tantalize potential staffing additions. But this decision will be crucial, in the sense that Tennessee has a championship window to capitalize on, and any misstep could inhibit their progress toward a Super Bowl ring.
For more, make sure to follow Ben on Twitter: @AllbrightNFL along with Pro Football Network: @PFN365.
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