NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mike Vrabel, who guided the Tennessee Titans to two division titles and three playoff appearances, was fired by the NFL team on Tuesday.
Vrabel, 48, was fired after back-to-back losing seasons. The Titans went 7-10 in 2022 and 6-11 this season, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com.
Tennessee went 54-45 in the regular season during Vrabel’s six years with the team, which included a pair of AFC South titles, a wild-card berth and a pair of playoff victories, The Tennessean reported. He is the third-winningest coach in franchise history.
Mike Vrabel, who led the Tennessee Titans to some of the highest highs in franchise history in an up-and-down tenure as coach, is out of a job, the franchise announced Tuesday. https://t.co/7Mp0A1M7Ro pic.twitter.com/KpVKJLSIfd
— Tennessean (@Tennessean) January 9, 2024
“Earlier today, I spoke with Mike Vrabel and told him about my decision to make a change at head coach,” team owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement. “As I told Coach Vrabel, this decision was as difficult as any I’ve made as controlling owner.
“I will never shy away from acknowledging that I have unapologetically high expectations for the football team and every aspect of the Titans organization. Our vision is not simply to produce more wins than losses, it is to regularly compete for championships.”
Vrabel’s firing continues an end-of-season trend of coaching changes. Atlanta’s Arthur Smith and Washington’s Ron Rivera were fired as coaches on Monday, and Carolina general manager Scott Fitterer was also dismissed.
Vrabel’s two playoff wins came during the 2019 season, as the Titans advanced to the AFC Championship Game before losing 35-24 to the Kansas City Chiefs, The Tennessean reported.
But the Titans slumped after a 7-3 start in 2022, losing their last seven games. Tennessee’s 6-11 mark this season is the team’s worst since 2015, according to the newspaper.
All-Pro running back Derrick Henry told The Athletic that Vrabel’s firing was a shock.
“Coach Vrabel is a leader of men. He is a great coach and teacher,” Henry told the publication. “I know he will get another opportunity right away. I look forward to it.”
Vrabel also played at linebacker during 14 seasons in the NFL, from 1997 to 2010. He was a third-round selection of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1997 NFL draft and played four seasons in the Steel City.
Vrabel then played eight seasons in New England and appeared in three Super Bowls for the Patriots, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com.
Born in Akron, Ohio, Vrabel played at Walsh Jesuit in Cuyahoga Falls and later played at Ohio State.
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