Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - John Harbaugh TOP OPTION for Tennessee Titans Coach, Mike McDaniel Acceptance & Worst Options Left

Episode Date: January 12, 2026

The Tennessee Titans are now into Week 2 of their head coaching search and John Harbaugh remains the best candidate on the market. The only issue is, as more information comes it seems the Titans aren...'t one of the top two picks for Harbaugh and some historic factors make it less likely he picks Tennessee. That makes Kevin Stefanski, Mike McCarthy and Robert Saleh the next best. If the Titans can't pick from the top tier, looking at options like Chris Shula, Jeff Hafley and Mike McDaniel becomes the next step and while McDaniel leaves a lot to be desired, he certainly isn't the worst they could do. There are plenty of worse options available like Matt Nagy, Arthur Smith and the worst of them all, Lou Anarumo. Subscribe to the TicTacTitans Film Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@TicTacTitans TicTacTitans Merchandise: https://dixons-dream.square.site/shop/tictactitans-gear/C3AAPNWXSXA6SBYG3USV2I7R?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=asc Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitans Follow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPod Subscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans/videos Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans.Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclubSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Ultimate QBUltimate QB is totally free to play, has no ads, and works 100% offline — perfect for when you want to sneak in a quick game or two on the go. Just head over to http://ULTIMATE-QB.COM.FanDuelToday's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. FanDuel is officially in Playoff Mode. Every game day during the NFL playoffs, FanDuel is giving customers even more ways to get in on the action. Visit Fanduel.com to get started.  PrizePicksDownload the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONNFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup.Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFLGametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.RobinhoodTrade Every Play with Robinhood. Now available across the U.S. Download the Robinhood app now to begin.Futures and cleared swaps trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Event contracts are offered by Robinhood Derivatives, LLC., a registered futures commission merchant and swap firm QuoMake this the year where no opportunity — and no customer — slips away.Try Quo for free plus get 20% off your first 6 months when you go tohttp://Quo.com/lockedonnfl.GustoTry Gusto today at http://gusto.com/lockedonNFL and get three months free when you run your first payroll.Home ChefFor a limited time, Home Chef is offering my listeners 50% off your first box, free shipping, and free dessert for life. Just go to http://HomeChef.com/LOCKEDON. IndeedListeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/lockedonnfl. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 John Harbaal is my number one available option for the Tennessee Titans head coaching job, but I don't think the feeling is mutual. I'll explain and give you my head coach rankings on today's edition of Locked on Titans. You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to the Locked on Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland Titans. fans on today's show, I am going to rank every single head coaching candidate that the Tennessee
Starting point is 00:00:40 Titans have been associated with. I'm going to give you my hype tier like John Harbaugh is my number one option. I'll talk about the coaches that I would be happy with like the young defensive coordinators. Also, we'll talk about the coaches who I think would be an outright disaster for the Tennessee Titans in my hate tier. Before we get into all of it, do want to thank you for making Locked on Titans your first listen each and every day. Remember, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free. Make sure that you get subscribed, stay subscribed. It's your team every day.
Starting point is 00:01:11 Speaking of every day, shout out to my everydayers out there. Tune in Monday through Friday. Couldn't do it without you guys. If you aren't an everydayer, you got to be one. This head coaching search is about to really pick up. The Titans are going into week two of their interviews. They'll have their finalists by the weekend. They'll be making a hire before you know it
Starting point is 00:01:27 and then filling out the coaching staff. Free agency, the draft, roster decision. So much going on in the all season. that you stay up to date, informed, and as entertained as a Tennessee Titans fan, could be make sure that you're locked in to the Locked on Titans podcast. But with all that being said, again, to start my head coach rankings, I'm going to have three tiers, my height tier, my happy tier, and then my hate tier. And at the very, very top of the rankings, my number one option is John Harbaugh,
Starting point is 00:01:57 the former head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. He is far in a way the best option out of the guys that, are actually available. Yes, there are candidates who I would like better, like a Matt Lefleur who we talked about yesterday. But there is no guarantee at this point in time that Matt Lefleur will become available. As I told you guys on yesterday's show and it seemed hard for some of you to comprehend. I don't think that Matt Lefleur will become available. I think he will sign an extension with the Green Bay Packers. And if that is the case, then out of the guys who are actually available on the market,
Starting point is 00:02:28 it is clear to me that John Harbaal is the number one guy. He's a CEO-style coach who can lead a program, set a culture, get the Tennessee Titans back to a semblance of professionalism as an organization. He would immediately bring credibility to the Tennessee Titans. He has peltz on the wall. He's a former Super Bowl champion. And unlike the other Super Bowl champion on this list and Mike McCarthy, John Harbaal has stayed in the game. He has recent success. He has been good recently. This isn't something where we're looking like, hey, he's been out of the game for a year. this and that note, John Harbaal has stayed in the game for 17, 18 years, 12 of those times. He's been to the playoffs.
Starting point is 00:03:06 He's been to the Super Bowl, won a Super Bowl, had great players on offense and defense from a great organization in Baltimore. There are so much to like about John Harbaugh, but let me just say this. It's the same thing that I told you yesterday. It's the same thing that I've said online. And I think the recent reports that we have seen about John Harbaugh's head coaching search for the job, I think it indicates exactly what I'm trying to tell you. We got a report from Connor Hughes in the New York media market that the Giants and the Falcons are the final two options for John Harbaugh.
Starting point is 00:03:37 We got a report from Jonathan Jones from CBS Sports that says, you know, he's down to about four options, but the Titans probably aren't in the top two. We got another report from Mike Garofalo from NFL Network saying that the Tennessee Titans will be in the mix for John Harbaugh. And listen, I firmly do believe that, John Harbaal has the Tennessee Titans in his top four, his top three, which is what was reported that he would choose from early this week, as he's going to pick his three or four best options.
Starting point is 00:04:07 He's not just going to interview with everybody. I think the Titans do deserve as an opening to be in that group, but here's the reality. John Harbaal is not coming to Tennessee. He is using the Titans as leverage to get more money, more of his demands out of the Giants and the Falcons who are better options for him. Falcons and the Giants have better rosters than the Tennessee Titans. The Falcons and the Giants are better traditional organizations than the Tennessee Titans with more cashier. They're in bigger media markets.
Starting point is 00:04:38 Not only that, but their owners have bigger pocket books and can pay more money for not only John Harbaugh, but for the coaching staff that he wants to put around him. Think about a guy like Todd Monkin, who is the offensive coordinator with Harbaugh in Baltimore. They fired Harbaugh because he did not want to fire Todd Monkin. He wants to bring him with him. And Monkin has been getting head coach interviews himself. So if Todd Monkin thinks that he is head coach quality and he has to be an offensive coordinator,
Starting point is 00:05:09 he's going to want to be one of the highest paid offensive coordinators in the NFL. So you've got to stop thinking about just how much John Harbaal is going to make himself and think about how much his coaching staff is going to demand. and then think about the Tennessee Titans as a franchise that has not been a team like the Green Bay Packers who are historically known for spending big money on their coaching staff. That's not the case. So there are a lot of things that I think are obvious
Starting point is 00:05:36 that make Atlanta and New York much better options for John Harbaugh. And if those two are the serious options then keeping Tennessee stringing along. Hey, I'm interested in Tennessee. Hey, hi, this is John Harbaugh's agent. Yeah, Mike Garoflo, if you could, go ahead and tweet out that Tennessee is a very serious option and John Harbaugh is very interested in the Tennessee Titans and they have a young great quarterback
Starting point is 00:06:03 and a million in cap space and a good general manager and he likes the area and it's so clear and obvious what's happening that the Tennessee Titans are being used as leverage for John Harbaugh to get more money, more for his coaching staff, more control out of the two options that he's actually serious in. So I hate to rain on the parade and be, oh, blah, blah, this isn't real. But I'm sorry, the way that I view it is, is that the Titans are not a serious option for John Harbaal. That's the Falcons and the Giants. But the Titans are a good option, and Harbaal is using the Titans' interest as a way to get more out of the two places that he actually wants to go. Now, that doesn't change the fact that I think that John Harbaal is the best coaching candidate available.
Starting point is 00:06:43 And if the Tennessee Titans were able to get John Harbaugh, I would be absolutely overjoyed. I would be over the moon. That would be an excellent option for the Tennessee Titans. I would love that. But again, like I told you, on the show last week when the news dropped that Harbaal was fired, like I said in my short video that I made as soon as John Harbaal was fired, I do not believe he's coming to Tennessee, and I believe the interest in Tennessee is simply a leverage point
Starting point is 00:07:09 to get more of what he wants out of the two options that he really likes. But nonetheless, he is my number one option for the reasons that I explained earlier. and if the Titans were to get him, we should all be very, very happy about that. Let me know your number one candidate for the Tennessee Titans head coaching position down below in the comments if you're watching on YouTube or hit me up on any social media
Starting point is 00:07:29 and let me know your thoughts. But outside of hardball, my number two option is Kevin Stefansky. And I've talked about it. He is a good offensive mind. He has dealt with maybe an organization that isn't the best in the NFL. So he's somebody who's able to navigate
Starting point is 00:07:47 those waters and help get things back on track. And I think the Titans organization being awful and bad is a little overblown at the end of the day. I think that's just a lot of fans being mad about what's happened over the last couple of years and the firings and things like that. But I don't think the Titans are as dysfunctional of an organization as like the Cleveland Browns or the New York Jets or something like that. So I don't think that that is a serious consideration. But at the end of the day, that could make Stafansky feel better. He's been the coach of the year multiple times.
Starting point is 00:08:14 I think he could bring in some good coordinators with him. Kevin Stefansky, who has experience as a previous head coach, is an offensive-minded head coach, has a couple of coach a year awards, pelt's on his wall. I think Stafansky is my clear number two. Now, after that, there is a drop, in my opinion. I would keep these next couple of names in my height tier. I would be very excited about them getting hired. But Harbaal and Stafansky are kind of the top two with a bullet for me.
Starting point is 00:08:40 But next is Mike McCarthy. And Mike McCarthy at one point in time before the firing started in the NFL, McCarthy was my number one option. Now, new names have come on the market that have pushed him down a little bit, but at the end of the day, everything I liked about Mike McCarthy is still true. He's a CEO and a leader
Starting point is 00:08:56 who can establish a culture and has run a professional organization at multiple different locations to massive success, multiple 12 wins seasons with the Cowboys, multiple playoff appearances, Super Bowl and Green Bay with multiple playoff appearances, got the absolute best out of Dak Prescott
Starting point is 00:09:12 and Aaron Rogers. He could get the best out of Cam Ward. He has good connections around the league. He's an offensive-minded head coach. So whether it be the style of coach he is, what side of the ball he originates on, the history and the experience and the success that he's had, Mike McCarthy is still my number three option
Starting point is 00:09:29 and firmly in my hype tier, I would be very excited about Mike McCarthy. And I talked yesterday about how the Titans are interviewing him last, which leads me to believe that they're very serious about Mike McCarthy and they just want to get this other stuff out of the way and see if anybody can change their mind. Now the next guy on my list, number four, is Robert Sala. Salah's defense was just incredible.
Starting point is 00:09:51 Against the highest paid offense in the NFL in the Philadelphia Eagles, he completely flummoxed them, he might have caused them to have a little bit of a meltdown as an organization. What Robert Sala has done this year on defense for the San Francisco 49ers with the injuries that they've dealt with is nothing short of miraculous. They have zero pass rush. They had the least amount of sacks in the NFL, and this dude just keeps them winning and playing good defensive ball. Not only is he an absolute mastermind scheme-wise on the defensive side of the ball,
Starting point is 00:10:21 he has previous head coaching experience, he has the leadership chops to lead an organization and lead a locker room, and not only that but the connections that he has to the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, to the Sean McVeigh coaching tree, I think that solves the biggest issue with Robert Sala as a head coach, and that's not having an offensive mind and having to deal with coordinators. He could easily replace guys in a match. Imagine if he were to bring Mike McDaniel with him as his offensive coordinator because those two guys are best buddies.
Starting point is 00:10:49 A Robert Sala, Mike McDaniel pairing, absolutely out of this world excited about that opportunity. The final guy in my hype tier is the most controversial of them on. It's Cliff Kingsbury. And I will continue to say, his wizardry on the offensive side of the ball with the scheme, what he's able to do with young quarterbacks. He got the best out of Kyler Murray in their first couple of years in Arizona. He got an all-time, the all-time, the best rookie quarterback season of all-time in NFL history. Cliff Kingsbury made that happen in Washington with Jaden Daniels.
Starting point is 00:11:27 Not only that, but I've heard some people say, well, Kyler Murray and Jaden Daniels are running quarterbacks. He needs a running quarterback. How did Cliff Kingsbury become famous and become an option? Texas Tech with Patrick Mahomes. Patrick Mahomes isn't a running quarterback. Patrick Mahomes is in the style of a Cam Ward quarterback. The air raid system is what they were running in Texas Tech
Starting point is 00:11:48 and what did Cam Ward run at Miami? The air raid system. So if you want what's best for Cam Ward, then Cliff Kingsbury is your option. Those are my hype options. Now we've got to go to my happy options, which include a lot of the young D.C.s and a guy who I'm warming up to Mike McDaniel.
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Starting point is 00:15:03 my top options for the Tennessee Titans head coaching position. We went through my hype tier with Harbaal, Stefansky, McCarthy, Sala, and Kingsbury. Now we're going to get into the tier that I call Happy. I love a hype, happy, hate tier system and we'll get into my hate guys at the end but now we move to Happy
Starting point is 00:15:20 and again, this is where you're going to find a lot of the young, hot shot, defensive coordinators and Mike, McDaniel, who is kind of growing on me as an okay option, I guess I would say. But number one on my list in the happy tier and my number six head coaching candidate overall is Chris Shula, the defensive coordinator from the Los Angeles Rams. Look, he's a scheme guru on the defensive side of the ball. The Rams defense has been doing some outrageous stuff all year with how they disguise coverages
Starting point is 00:15:51 and how they bring pressures and how they trap certain teams into different looks based on what they've seen on tape. What Shula is doing with that Los Angeles Rams defense has been incredibly impressive. Not only that, but he is a football lifer. You recognize the Shula name, and I know a lot of you are having Brian Callahan PTSD right now, like, oh my God, an inexperienced, first-time head coach
Starting point is 00:16:15 with nepotism, family. Listen, listen, listen. Shula is a guy who deserves the opportunities. He is getting, and unlike Brian Callahan, He is calling plays on his side of the ball. He is a guru on his side of the ball, one of the best. Guru is an overrated buzz term at the end of the day. But the point is,
Starting point is 00:16:35 Chris Yula is one of the more advanced schematic minds on the defensive side of the ball in the NFL. So that sort of knowledge on one side of the ball is something that's very, very important to me. I don't want somebody who isn't the top schematic mind on their side of the ball for their organization. I don't want somebody who's an offensive coordinator who doesn't call plays.
Starting point is 00:16:56 I don't want a defensive coordinator who isn't the top guy like a Matt Burke from the Houston Texans. D'Amico Ryan's is the top mind on that side of the ball. And everything that that guy does underneath him makes me wonder whether they can do it. So until you prove it, I don't believe it. And Chris Shula got the opportunity to prove it this year with the Los Angeles Rams.
Starting point is 00:17:16 Now again, he's my sixth option. This isn't someone in my top five, but he is somebody I would be happy with because he's a guy who's been a football. lifeer. He's very smart on the scheme side of things. And like I talked about with Robert Sala, the connections. The biggest problem with a defensive-minded head coach is figuring out the offensive coordinator position over and over and over again after your guys get
Starting point is 00:17:41 poached when they do a good job. Look at what's going on in Philadelphia. Every time they have a good year, their coordinators get poached and they can't replace them. Look what's going on in Detroit. Look what happened in Tennessee after Arthur Smith left with Mike Vrable. The number one challenge is to replace that offensive coordinator when you have a defensive head coach. And just like Robert Sala, Chris Shula has relationships and connections to Sean McVeigh, to Kyle Shanahan, to those trees of offensive coaches,
Starting point is 00:18:08 which I think gives them the best opportunity to replenish that well. So Shula is a guy who, if the Titans miss out on all the top options that I like, because Harbaal goes to New York and Stefansky goes to Atlanta, and then McCarthy maybe doesn't want to jump back into the NFL pool. Robert Sala doesn't want to take his last shot in Tennessee. Cliff Kingsbury isn't a guy who checks the boxes for the Titans. Shula would be a guy who makes sense and is a good selection in my mind. Another guy who is exactly like that, in my opinion, is Jeff Hathley,
Starting point is 00:18:39 the defensive coordinator from the Green Bay Packers, a very good scheming defensive mind who is going to get the best out of the defense. Not only that, but he does have some experience as a head coach because of his time in Boston College. I know it's not NFL experience, but it's not the same as never being the head coach for any football program either. And I truly do believe
Starting point is 00:19:00 Jeff Hathley is a leader. Like if we're all worried about leadership and having somebody to lead this franchise going forward, I truly do believe that Jeff Hathley is one of the better leaders out of this list, even if he's not all the way up at the top. I would not be worried about Jeff Hathley as a leader
Starting point is 00:19:20 if he were hired by the Titans. So you give me really smart scheme on defense and you give me leadership and the Matt Lafleur connection Maybe he could get an Adam Stenevich He could get a Luke Getsy He would still be able to tap into Maybe some of that Kyle Shanahan
Starting point is 00:19:40 Sean McVeigh stuff because Matt LaFleur obviously Is connected to those guys I think that would make a ton of sense for the Titans Mike McDaniel is the next guy And look I went gung-ho against Mike McDaniel last week. And all of the reasons that I don't like Mike McDaniel are still true.
Starting point is 00:20:01 I don't think he's a good leader. I don't think that he's a guy who can cultivate a culture in the locker room and set the standard and consistently hold guys accountable and inspire guys. I don't buy that. But regardless, there are other things that he does bring to the table. And there are people out there who question my opinion and say, no, Mike McDaniel is a leader and his players have said that he's a leader.
Starting point is 00:20:28 But I brought up the mental mistakes that his captains have made, the dumb ways that his football team lost football games and the penalties and the way his players acted out why he was the head coach. To me, Mike McDaniel is more your crazy uncle that'll buy you a six-pack for prom night than your dad who is going to be on you and discipline you and send you to your room and ground you
Starting point is 00:20:52 and stuff like that. Like your crazy uncle was a different level of accountability and responsibility than your father. Okay. And I think that Mike McDaniel is a born offensive coordinator. I do not think that he's a head coach in the NFL. But he does have a really smart offensive scheme. He's one of the most brilliant offensive minds in the NFL. He does have previous head coaching experience,
Starting point is 00:21:14 which is something that I do value for the Tennessee Titan. So he checks those boxes. My concern is him as a leader. And if that is not as much of a concern as I think it is, because there are people behind the scenes who know better than that, then maybe he is a better option than I'm giving him credit for. And I'll say this as well. The last thing that I will give Mike McDaniel credit for is,
Starting point is 00:21:36 boy, he sure is an interesting personality. It would be fun, right? Like he's a fun guy. He has funny answers in the press conferences. He dresses like the cool uncle, you know what I mean, with his little capri pants and stuff like that, which, hey, I, I, I like having my ankles exposed too.
Starting point is 00:21:52 I don't wear caprice and stuff. But when I'm at home and I'm in my sweatpants, I love rolling my sweatpants up to the mid-calf. I even cut them off at the bottom. I don't like having stuff on my ankles and my wrists. It makes me hot. You know what I mean? But anyway, side note,
Starting point is 00:22:04 I think that for those reasons, I could still be happy about Mike McDaniel, especially when you compare him to the other options that are out there and how much worse the Tennessee Titans could do. The Titans could do far. worse than a guy with head coaching experience who's considered a cutting edge guy on the offensive side of the ball could probably do pretty well with Cam Ward and who's an interesting
Starting point is 00:22:29 personality. I just took time over the weekend and I can, I will meet you guys halfway on Mike McDaniel. He is in the middle. I wouldn't like him as much as Halfley or Shula, but he is in the middle of my happy tier. There you go. I could live with Mike McDaniel. Now the next guy on my list is Jesse Mentor, who is the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers. And I know that the Chargers lost 16 to 3 to the New England Patriots in that playoff game, but the defense was really good. The Chargers defense was awesome in that game. And for how everybody considers Drake May and MVP candidate and all that stuff,
Starting point is 00:23:07 they really limited the New England Patriots offense. And the reality is, the only reason that game was as big of a margin as it was 16 to 3 is because the Chargers' offense was cratering. Greg Roman is a terrible offensive coordinator. It's just insane that he was high. It just blows my mind. But whatever. Nonetheless, Jesse Mentor is a guy who is considered
Starting point is 00:23:31 one of the bright, schematic minds on defensive side of the ball. I don't know that Jesse Mentor is the leader that the Titans want and need, but he has had great leadership examples from Jim Harbaal, who is one of the, you know, Jim Harbaugh is one of the better leaders as a coach in the entire NFL. He earns and requires, is the word I'm looking for, respect from everybody around him because of his pelt's on the wall. But just because you trained under Jim Harbaugh for a long time doesn't mean that you are Jim Harbaugh. So I would be happy with Jesse Mentor, but he's definitely at the bottom of my happy tier.
Starting point is 00:24:13 Now, I just want to say this. Two names that have not gotten an interview request from the Tennessee Titans. so I do not have them in my rankings right now. Clint Kubiak, the offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks, and Anthony Weaver, the defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins. If the Titans do end up interviewing either of those guys, which I do not think that they are going to do, they would be at the bottom, they would be right here at the bottom of my happy tier.
Starting point is 00:24:38 But with that in mind, we got to get to the hate tier because there are a lot of these guys who, I just think it would be an outright disaster if the Tennessee Titans hired them. Do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you. By Gusto, let's be real. No one starts a business for the joy of calculating tax withholdings or managing payroll spreadsheets. That's where Gusto comes in to take stress out of payroll benefits and HR so you could focus on running your business and supporting your team.
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Starting point is 00:27:47 And seven or eight of them are just disgraceful, in my opinion, outside of the ones that we already talked about. Now again, Harbaugh, Stefansky, McCarthy, Sala, Kingsbury, Shula, Hathley, McDaniel, Mentor. That's my current ranking of hype and happy for hate to me. start with Rahim Morris. Now, Rahim Morris is at the top of my hate tier, you know, because he has experience. He's a guy who is a smart, schematic guy on the defensive side of the ball. He can also be a CEO leader type of coach. He's going to put together a good coaching staff with some smart guys on it. And I do think that he is a guy who can lead. But the reality
Starting point is 00:28:30 is, he's been a head coach twice already and he has not succeeded. And the reality is, and the reality, also is that you don't typically get three chances in the NFL unless you're somebody like Mike McCarthy who has a Super Bowl championship to their name. Rahim Morris couldn't even make the playoffs in the NFC South with the most talented roster in the division and one of the most talented rosters in the entire league. I'm sorry. He may be at the top of this tier,
Starting point is 00:29:00 but it's still the hate tier for a reason. I would not be happy about hiring Rahim Morris. Now, if you hire Rahim Morris as your defensive coordinator with one of these other guys as a head coach, Chris Shula as a head coach, one of the offensive guys like a Mike McDaniel or Mike McCarthy or Cliff Kingsbury. If you hired Raheem Morris as your defensive coordinator, you're cooking with gas. But as a head coach, we should know better by now.
Starting point is 00:29:26 I think a similar guy is Vance Joseph. Vance Joseph is somebody who has a ton of experience. He's been a former head coach. He's been a great defensive coordinator for quite some time. One of the best schematic defensive minds in the NFL leading the Denver Broncos defense over the last couple of years. They've been tremendous. He was number one, most sacks this year.
Starting point is 00:29:50 I think the Broncos might have been number one in most sacks last year too, or they may not have been number one this year, but they were very high up on the list. They were number one last year with a bullet as well. So this is a guy who is going to get after the quarterback, and I think that's incredibly important. but that's defensive coordinator type stuff. I'm sorry, but Vance Joseph is just not a legitimate option,
Starting point is 00:30:14 in my opinion, to be a head coach. And if he were, if he were, then he would have gotten another opportunity by now. Now, I don't think that it's fair that in his first time as a head coach with the Denver Broncos, that he had Brock Osweiler and Trevor Simeon, as his quarterbacks. Like, it's fair to say,
Starting point is 00:30:37 I don't know about that. So that's why him and Morris are at the top of this tier. They are far and away better. Like, these two guys are far and away better than everybody else who are about to talk about. Like, it's not even close. So it's almost a tier within a tier. Morris and Joseph are at least legitimate candidates,
Starting point is 00:30:58 but I still wouldn't be happy about them because I think they're defensive coordinators. I don't think either of them are head coaches. the NFL. Now, the rest of the hate tier is the names that you guys know that I do not like. Matt Nagy. I think it's laughable. I would only accept Matt Nagy being hired by this team as an offensive coordinator, but I would still, you know, that still would not be, something that I'm like, yeah, Matt Nagy, OC, but it would be like the Nick Holes hire. This is a C. I'm giving this a C grade. This is the one.
Starting point is 00:31:34 I'm like, I don't know about that one. You know what I mean? So Matt Nagy is the next guy in the hate tier. He's my third hate tier candidate. But he is way below Vance Joseph and Rahim Morris, in my opinion. And then Arthur Smith comes after him. I like Arthur Smith even worse. Arthur Smith was a worse head coach than Matt Nagy was when they got an opportunity.
Starting point is 00:31:56 And I'm sorry, I just can't deal with Arthur Smith at the press conferences, saying stupid stuff. and being ridiculous, his personnel usage. This guy did not want to put Bejohn Robinson on the field. He did not want to throw the ball to Kyle Pitts. He did not want to use Drake London as a number one wide receiver. This is a guy who it would be like, you know, you play basketball.
Starting point is 00:32:19 This would be somebody who wanted to play his backups just as much as his starters. You got Shaquille O'Neal on the team and this guy wants to play Luke Longley the same amount of minutes. You know? Like, it's illogical. thinks Arthur Smith thinks that he is the smartest guy to ever live. I don't need to play Bijan Robinson more than Tyler Algear.
Starting point is 00:32:41 I don't need to get my guys, my best players involved. I need to spread it around more. Why would we throw it to Drake London? We could throw it to Olamata Zakias. Why would I throw it to a top five pick in Kyle Pitts when I could bring Jono Smith over and give him all the opportunities? Arthur Smith is a guy who thinks he's the smartest guy in the room, but really he's got a clown.
Starting point is 00:33:03 nose on. He out thinks himself and outsmarts himself at every turn. I would just be appalled if the Titans hired Arthur Smith. And then after that there's another huge jump down. Mike McCoy, Jason Garrett, Steve Spagnola, and then at the very bottom, the worst option of all of the options, the absolute worst option of all the options, is Lou Aniruma. What a joke. what a joke 60 years old defenses haven't been that good the last couple of years
Starting point is 00:33:38 not head coach material whatsoever and Steve Spagnola same thing Spagnola is 66 years old we ain't hiring a 66 year old coach what I think what I think is those interviews we just talked about
Starting point is 00:33:56 Nagy McCoy Garrett Anerumo Spagnola these are people who Mike Borgonzi knows, and it allowed him to practice how he interviews the guys who actually matter.
Starting point is 00:34:11 Garrett, Nagy, McCoy, Spags, those guys are guys that he knows very well. Borganzi's brother worked under Jason Garrett. Obviously, the Kansas City connection with Nagy and Spagnola. And then Mike McCoy was just here. So if there were anybody who Mike Borganzi could conduct an interview with and then after the interview was over say Hey guys how did you think I did How did I compare to other general managers that you've interviewed with before
Starting point is 00:34:45 And then those guys who know him personally and care about him personally would give him honest feedback of you need to ask this question This question makes you look unprepared You need to make sure that you check with them on this you asked this and then went to dinner, have a meal, and then, you know, the whole process. So I think those interviews were really a tune-up and a warm-up for Mike Borganzi. But again, let me know your head coach rankings down below or hit me up on social media. That's going to do it for me today, folks.
Starting point is 00:35:17 As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.

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