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Just two years after the Tennessee Titans hired Mike Vrabel as their head coach, Vrabel led the team to the AFC Championship Game. While the Titans lost that game, it seemed like the Vrabel-Titans partnership was here to stay.
That would not be the case. Tennessee fired Vrabel after the 2023 season, a seemingly unexpected move in the coaching carousel. However, the relationship between Vrabel and the team had slowly strained in previous years as Tennessee made many changes.
The Titans fired general manager Jon Robinson in 2022 and replaced him with Ran Carthon. Less than a year after hiring Carthon, Tennessee moved on from Vrabel, further contributing to instability.
It turns out that Tennessee landing on Carthon in the general manager search was only the beginning of the end for Vrabel. Now Vrabel is leading the New England Patriots, while the Titans are still looking for stability.
Here's a breakdown of why the Titans fired Vrabel in the first place.
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Why did Titans fire Mike Vrabel?
Vrabel's firing came as a surprise to the NFL community, since the veteran coach was extremely well-respected throughout the league.
"As the NFL continues to innovate and evolve, I believe the teams best positioned for sustained success will be those who empower an aligned and collaborative team across all football functions," Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement after the firing." Last year, we began a shift in our approach to football leadership and made several changes to our personnel to advance that plan. As I continued to assess the state of our team, I arrived at the conclusion that the team would also benefit from the fresh approach and perspective of a new coaching staff."
However, there was more to the firing than what the Titans claimed. According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini and Joe Rexrode, Vrabel and his coaching staff didn't feel like the new front office was keeping them in the loop on its new process.
Additionally, The Athletic reported that Vrabel told Strunk he wanted full control of the roster when the team was looking to replace Robinson in 2023. When Strunk chose Carthon for the new general manager position, Vrabel reportedly was not a fan, instead preferring former Titans executive Ryan Cowden for the job.
During the 2023 season, Vrabel was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame while Tennessee had a bye. In his speech, Vrabel made comments that Strunk reportedly did not appreciate.
"I've been a lot of places. This is a special place with great leadership, great fans, great direction, and great coaching," Vrabel told the Patriots fans. "Enjoy it. It's not like this everywhere."
Mike Vrabel to Patriots fans when he was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame in 2023: “I’ve been a lot of places. This is a special place with great leadership, great fans, great direction, and great coaching. Enjoy it — it’s not like this everywhere.” pic.twitter.com/RwD4XClrXv
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 12, 2025While Vrabel denied he was talking about Tennessee, the damage may have been already done. While Strunk was Vrabel's biggest supporter in the building, the head coach's relationship with Carthan along with the deteriorating relationship with the owner ultimately doomed him.
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How long did Mike Vrabel coach Titans?
Vrabel coached the Titans for six full seasons, having been hired before the 2018 season and fired after the 2023 season ended. His 99 games as Titans coach make him the second-longest tenured coach in franchise history, behind only Jeff Fisher, who spent more than 16 years and 162 games with the organization.
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Mike Vrabel Titans record
| Year | Record | Playoff record |
| 2018 | 9-7 | N/A |
| 2019 | 9-7 | 2-1 |
| 2020 | 11-5 | 0-1 |
| 2021 | 12-5 | 0-1 |
| 2022 | 7-10 | N/A |
| 2023 | 6-11 | N/A |
| Overall | 54-45 | 2-3 |
Vrabel ended his Titans coaching career with a 54-45 overall record and two playoff wins, both of which came in his second season.
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