Titans Coaching Search: SHOCKING Candidates Emerging | MCA Titans Podcast

Could a pair of shocking head coach candidates become available before the Titans officially begin their hiring process as they look for a new head coach in 2026? Maybe. We’re going to talk about those two names today, as well as other updates to the Titans coaching search, where some of these guys stand heading into week 11. This is the Music City Audible. Let’s get to it. Uh, welcome everyone to another episode of the Music City Audible podcast presented by Sinkers Beverages, the premier wine, spirits, and beer store in East Nashville in partnership with 440 Sports. I’m Justin Graver. With me as always, Justin Melo and Justin, just to be totally honest with our audience. We had a very special guest interview lined up for today. Unfortunately, we had to postpone it. We will have that special guest on the show sometime in the next few weeks, but not today. that we had to call in Audible in honor of the name of this podcast and we’re going to be talking some head coach candidates for the Titans today. How’s it going? I’m doing well. Doing well. It wouldn’t be the Music City Audible without calling an Audible. We’ve done that a lot lately. And uh this isn’t just your regular coaching search update episode because we’ve done a few of those lately. This episode is based around new information that’s come out recently on two can on two potential candidates that we didn’t necessarily expect to maybe be candidates, but maybe they will be because the NFL is a crazy league and you never know what’s going to happen. Uh we’re not going to leave you on the hook for too long. So, we’ll just I think get right into it. the the one of the biggest reports in the NFL this week period I think coming out of any market is Matt Schneiderman I believe it’s pronounced of the Athletic who covers the Green Bay Packers um wrote a story and I essentially quote head coach Matt Laflur could be coaching for his job the rest of this season. That is not a headline that I had on my weekly bingo card, if you will. It comes on the heels of a really disappointing Monday night loss for the Packers where they only scored seven points. They lost 10-7 to the Philadelphia Eagles in a game that I had circled as one I was really looking forward to. You know, the Instagram verse reality memes, but in reality was one of the worst football games I’ve watched this year was horribly sloppy, incredibly boring, and it was the followup. I forgot this cuz I don’t follow any team religiously other than the Titans. Was a followup for the Packers from a 1613 loss to the Carolina Panthers on a a horrible week nine, I guess it was, for them. Yeah, because the week 10 Eagles came on Monday Night Football. That’s two straight losses for the Packers where they failed to score more than 13 points. One of them to the lowly Panthers, who followed that up by losing to the New Orleans Saints. Packers are now 53 and one. They’re like in third place, I think, in the NFC uh uh North Division, trailing the Bears and the Lions, who were tied for first. A Packers team that came in with a lot of expectations this year, the Micah Parsons trade. Look, they’re still 53 and one. They’re not terrible by any stretch, but they’re not in the division lead. Uh it it that Micah Parsons deal made it Super Bowl or bust for them essentially. And this is what makes it difficult on Matt Laflur is the defense is holding up their end of the bargain, right? Like holding the Eagles to 10 points, the Panthers to 16. They should be winning these football games, but they’re not. And right now, that falls at the feet of Matt Laflur’s offense. That’s the thing that is sparking this conversation because I think this is an absolutely absurd idea. I mean, Matt Lafur has been has done nothing but win games since he got to Green Bay. Handled the transition with Jordan Love uh masterfully the way that they, you know, allowed him to sit and they were patient with him and it all worked out. And now he hasn’t played his best football this season, but their three losses that you just mentioned, they allowed 13 points, 16 points, and 10 points. And that idea that Jeff Hafley is doing a great job on the defensive side. Jeff Hafley who was a head coach in college football just last year is not a guy who is like foreign to the idea of being a head coach. And now this whole thing is cropping up because people around the Packers think that the the smartest move might be to fire Laflur and promote Hafley to head coach. And now this is just a ludicrous thing that normally you would say this is a fan base overreacting to a couple bad games in a row, a rough stretch, a losing streak, and just going nuts. And every fan base wants at some point to fire their head coach or to fire their offensive play caller. Like no team in the league is happy with their play calling except maybe like the Seahawks and the Cowboys. Perspective, you mean from a fan-based perspective? Um, but this has reached the media and this be this stuff starts to become more real and less fan ridiculous when coaches are asked at their press conference following the game. Do you feel like you’re coaching for your job? And that’s exactly what happened to Matt Laflur. You mentioned the article. Here’s a quote using those same words from Monday night’s press conference after the Packers lost that game. I understand you guys are 53 and one, still have a playoff spot right now, and you’re going to say you’re always coaching for your job, but you don’t have a long-term extension. With the way things have gone this season, do you think you’re coaching for your job? I’m not. I I’ll leave that for for everybody else to decide. I’ll just focus on the day-to-day and trying to do I I feel like you’re always coaching for everything in this league, you know? I mean, that is a very stocky answer for Matt Laflur and exactly what you’d expect him to say. But the fact that this is even a talking point, I think makes it worth discussing for us because what would be the Titans interest in Matt Laflur if he were to get fired from this job? Would the would the Titans see it as the Green Bay just made a huge mistake? Obviously, they should have kept that guy and been a little more patient with him and let things get back on track. They overreacted to this all-in move of trading for Micah Parsons. If the playoffs started today, the Packers would be the seven seed, which is not where they expected to be after 10 weeks. Um, but as far as candidates go, you can’t get a whole lot more successful in his short time in Green Bay than what Matt Laflur has done. Well, I agree. I mean, his overall record as a head coach there is 7236 and one. That’s a 66.5% win percentage. They’ve made the playoffs in five of his six years in charge. And I imagine it’s going to be six and and seven, right, by at the end of this year. Now, again, a little background. The reason we’re we’re we’re discussing this is uh you know, this Green Bay market, they know this better than we do, right? And the fact that he didn’t get a contract extension before the year started does leave some room for doubt. And that doubt is now expanding because they’re 53 and one and disappointing on offense. According to my research, he’s only signed through next season. Like that’s a shortterm contract as far as coaches go and he probably should have gotten an extension this past off seasonason. If they were 100% sold on keeping him long term. So I do think that they’re insane. But I also think there’s there’s a case where maybe where there’s smoke there’s a little bit of fire here. And he’s three and five in the playoffs, you know. So I’m just I’m I’m grasping at straws myself to understand their line of thinking, right? But I think they have a little bit of doubt on Matt Laflur or else they would have given him an extension this past offseason. And again, the results of this year, if they have some doubt, it’s the current results are feeding into that doubt and they might make a mistake here. Now, what would the Titans level of interest be? We have to start by acknowledging he was their offensive coordinator in 2018, right? Like when Matt when uh Matt when Mike Vrabel got hired, Matt Laflur was his offensive coordinator and we have it on pretty good account. I think everyone knows this. I don’t think that was a Mike Vrabel decision. They interviewed Laflur for the head coaching gig that year and they hired Vrabel and made and got Laflur as the offensive coordinator. It was a huge win. How many times do you interview two head coaching candidates and hire both of them, right? Like but all indications were that decision was kind of forced on Vrabel. I I I don’t know if it was John Robinson probably or someone else, but they didn’t get along all that well. Like Rael and Matt Laflur is pretty well known. They didn’t like each other very much. And if you revisit that year and and this doesn’t matter, but Matt Lafleur wasn’t a great offensive coordinator here in Tennessee in my opinion, like they weren’t that effective. Do you remember he was playing Dion Lewis ahead of Derrick Henry for a little bit? like they weren’t very good on offense and then he gets a head coaching job after one season anyway um in Green Bay and you know what like Green Bay nailed that like they did they ignored the results in Tennessee and hired him anyway and they hit a home run. Uh hindsight’s 2020 but you know what happened there in my opinion? What should have happened to Brian Callahan, right? You know what I’m saying? Matt Laflur had never called plays before that year as a Titans offensive coordinator. He was the coordinator for Shawn McVey with the Rams. Obviously, McVey calls the plays there. So, for me, that was the NFL literally saying, “We are going to hire this guy eventually almost no matter what, but he should get one year of play calling experience under his belt before we do it.” And I think Matt Laflur and his agents understood the assignment. They said, “Hey, we’re going to go call plays for a year in Tennessee.” Uh, and maybe even if it doesn’t go well, which it didn’t, we’re still going to get hired because teams want me to just have that experience. So, it’s what should have happened to Callahan, right? He should have called plays one year. Well, yeah, sure. I mean, yes. Matt Laflur coordinated the 27th highest ranked scoring offense or aka the sixth worst scoring offense in his time in Tennessee and then went on to be a very successful head coach because the point is he was well maybe he was prepared for that right like sure but Brian Callahan I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I think Brian Callahan would have had a different success like I don’t think Brian Callahan’s success or failure was determined by the fact that he didn’t go do a year of head coach grad school or whatever where he got to call plays as an offensive coordinator. I like I think Callahan’s issues run deeper than simply the ability to call plays live in a game. That’s neither here nor there. My here and argue with you on that, but I do think doing both at the same time, he was so in over his head that maybe he would have been a little less in over his head if he was used to calling plays. I’m not I’m not going to disagree with that idea. I think Callahan’s issues ran deeper though, like just leading the team behind the scenes and preparing them throughout the week for what was to come on Sunday to me was more impactful and and worse than any like I don’t I honestly I didn’t have an issue with him as a play caller and he he didn’t either if you remember that quote. And third, like it’s not like the Titans offense has taken a massive leap. I mean, I know there’s they’ve been gotten off to some better starts, but overall, it’s not like the offense has looked like a totally different unit since harderee took over play calling, but anyway, we’re we’re way off in the weeds here. Yeah, Matt Laflur. I mean, I would have a lot of interest in Matt Laflur to return to Tennessee. I think what they should have done in 2018 was hire Matt Laflur as head coach and Mike Vrabel can go somewhere else and never have his fired by now just the same. Well, maybe, but maybe not. I mean, the offensive stability that he would have provided when Marrian Tanahill was the quarterback in 2019, who knows? Who knows what would have happened there? Um, regardless though, I think he does become an interesting candidate. Like, it’s it’s do you want him like as a Titans fan right now, you can pick anybody to be head coach? Is Matt Laflur in your top five? He should be. He should be. But I do think there’s like this is this is not my opinion. This is just mostly devil’s advocate. I do think there’s something about the like excitement factor that he doesn’t bring. Maybe I’m wrong. Sound off in the comments if I’m wrong. I’m like I agree with you, Justin Melo, but I think fans out there might be more excited by the idea of a first timer with a limitless ceiling because we’ve never seen him be ahead like a Clint Kubak. Could be Brian Callahan. That’s always fun. Yeah, I agree with you. I’m just I would love to get a temperature check in the comments from the fan base on just like what you like would you be head over heels for Matt Laflur because he is a proven successful winner. Would you think like he doesn’t have the personnel in Tennessee to do that so he would be bad here? Would you like want one of these young coordinator guys who’s never done it before so we’ve never seen them fail. Would that make you more excited because the ceiling like a Clint Kubak again because the ceiling’s higher? I’m curious to know what our audience thinks. So, let us know in the comments if any of you get in the comments and say that. I can’t wait to jump in there and argue with you because 66.5% win percentage. Look at how he’s developed Jordan Love at quarterback. Look what he did with Malik Willis after he didn’t even look like an XFL quarterback in Tennessee. Malik Willis goes there. They beat the Titans 34 last year with Malik Willis as a starter. And Willis has consistently looked playable when he’s had to play over the last whatever little bit. good in the preseason, blah blah blah. Like the the amount of cons offensive consistency he would bring to Cam Ward to this team that’s trying to develop Cam Ward in what will be his second year. Matt Laflur, is he in your top five? I think he’d be my number one. I think he’d be my my the top of my list. I think I I’ve talked about Mike McCarthy. I would take Matt Laflur over Mike McCarthy. And I love Mike McCarthy. Like nobrainer to me. I wonder what Amy Adam thinks about this possibility. I mean, maybe hasn’t even landed on her desk yet. But I don’t know if she likes, hates, remembers him, like he was only here a year as a coordinator. I’d have to think though, it’s on her mind or she’s aware that this guy was here for one year, got a head coaching job immediately. That hasn’t happened to a lot of Titans coordinators over the years, Arthur Smith being the other, uh, and has gone on to have a lot of success. So, I wonder if she thinks, hey, maybe he’s the one that got away. And, um, who knows? But to me, Matt Laflur would be would be probably number one on my list. And we have to we can’t get out of the Matt Laflur discussion and move on without mentioning that Chad Brinker, who’s going to be a massive part of the hiring process. We don’t know if Mike Borghansi is going to lead the charge going to have likeation though that Boroni is leading it. But leading it, but I’m sure Chad Brinker will have plenty of say in the direction that that leads to. And he over overlapped for four years with Matt Laflur. who was there in Green Bay as the assistant director of pro scouting when Matt Lafleur was hired. He was promoted to the personnel and football administration executive um in Laflur’s third season in Green Bay and spent another season there before joining the Titans in 2023. So, plenty of familiarity and uh Eastston Freeze just wrote an article, posted it on Wednesday morning, uh good read on, you know, updating his he did a like a stock up, stock down type of thing for Titans head coaching candidates and mentioned, you know, a quote that Borgansi gave last week when he did his limited gave limited limited comments on the coaching search. One of the things that he did say was that they wanted alignment. They want a collaboration between the head coach and the general manager and the front office, which of course every team says that because every team should want that because that’s the best way to operate a football team. Um, but Een indicated that that could mean they look at somebody like a Matt Naggie who or look really hard at somebody like a Matt Naggie because worked with him, but it could also mean if Matt Laflur did for some dumb Green Bay dumb reason become available. Uh, Chad Brinker has a lot of familiarity with him as well. So, just had to mention that. I don’t think this is as far-fetched as some people make it out to be, but at the same time, it would be such a dumb decision if Green Bay fired Matt Laflur. Teams make dumb decisions all the time. I think I think if he were to get fired, he’s going to be near the top of every wish list for for teams that have vacancies. Uh, the second candidate that we we’re going to I think briefly touch on, but we talked about two potentially surprising candidates. Laflur was the first. The second is Kevin Stfansky of the Cleveland Browns. Uh he’s mentioned in the Eastn Freeze article as well. Is another guy that there’s been some media rumblings about the team possibly firing. I mean, it’s not all that shocking, right? The Browns are two and seven and in contention for the number one overall pick. I uh would have Stfansky high on my list. Maybe not as high as Laflur, but I do like Stfansky quite a bit. The way I view his situation right now, and I think we can get through this one rather quickly. I think he’s a bit of a victim of the dysfunction in the front office. Like, I don’t know everything that goes on in Cleveland, but the reason they suck, I’m sorry, can very much boil down to the Deshun Watson mistake. Like, they went all in on they gave up a bunch of draft picks, signed this guy to historically, if you remember at that time, historically fully guaranteed contract while they still had Baker Mayfield on the team. and they decided we’re going to choose looking great by the way. Right. So, um for me and and to me he’s a victim in all this cuz if I recall correctly the Deshun Watson decision came straight from ownership. Like they made this decision and said you figure it out while the quarterback was in the middle of a horrible horrible off-field legal battle and and all that. And they just gave Kevin Sansky the crap end of the stick. and they’re still losing because of it because that decision thankfully karma had its way and it backfired majorly in their faces and Stfansky’s left to clean up the you know the aftermath and and not surprising that they’re losing because of it. This is a two-time head coach of the year winner NFL head coach of the year two 2020 and 2023. He’s an offensive minded guy who worked under some brilliant offensive minds in the past, right? He was on those, I believe, those Minnesota Viking squads with like Gary Kubak and and I think Clint Kubak was there as well, obviously in a reduced role. I I like Kevin Stfansky. Look, the head coach always deserves some blame. I don’t want to sit here and absolve completely, but I think he’s largely a It’s weird to say about a head coach, but I think he’s largely a passenger in what’s going on with the Cleveland Browns right now. No one was going to recover immediately from that Deshawn Watson, you know, show, if you will. And uh and I don’t know how much word he had in drafting Gabriel and I think Shador Sanders wasn’t a Kevin Stfansky call either. Like it just been a mess in Cleveland the last couple years. Yeah. No, Stfansky if if he ends up getting fired will be the victim, the scapegoat. I think scapegoat is the best word to use. He will be the scapegoat for what’s going on in Cleveland because 100% on the Deshun Watson trade, not his decision. And then with Dylan Gabriel, I believe Dylan Gabriel was in Andrew Barry, Kevin Stfansky. This is a guy that we kind of like. We don’t we’re not sold on him, but let’s take a chance and see if he can be anything. Um, and then uh Jimmy Hasslam came down in the fifth round and said, “Why is this guy still on the board? Draft him. We need this guy. We don’t have a quarterback. I don’t care if you already took one. Make him battle it out. Draft this guy.” and Sephansky like refuses refuses to even talk about why he won’t give Sanders a look in a in a lost season when you already drafted the guy and your offense has been terrible for the last few weeks. They won’t even give him a look. Why? Because it’s going to force that change soon. I have a feeling. I agree. And I hope it happens by week 14 because I’d love to get the Cam Ward verse Shador Sanders bowl. But um yeah, that uh the whole everything that’s going on with management in Cleveland is disgusting. But Kevin Sansky led this team to a playoff win, their first playoff win in like what, I don’t know, 30 years, something crazy like that. Um he led them to the playoffs again with Joe Flacco coming off the street. And it was also not his decision at all. In fact, I think he was upset about the fact that Cleveland traded Joe Flacco to Cincinnati. Basically, he didn’t outright say this, but we played a clip that he right after the trade on he the call. So, I’m familiar with his words here cuz I had to go listen to that press conference to pull the sound for it. And it was basically like, hey, they called us. Andrew came to my office and said, “We’re we’re moving Joe cuz we got an offer for him.” Like, we weren’t looking to shop him. Stfansky wanted to keep starting Joe Flacco because as the head coach, he believed that gave his team the best chance to win knowing what they had in third round rookie Dylan Gabriel and fifth round. Like I wouldn’t like what is Shader Sanders to the Browns? He’s like worse than a practice squad player to them right now. Like they don’t give him any they’re not giving him a chance and maybe there’s stuff behind the scenes that would give them a reason to. We don’t know what that stuff is. All I know is Kevin Zapansky probably never wanted Chador Sanders on his roster and so he doesn’t want to play him. And he has he has overachieved. Obviously Miles Garrett is a hell of talented player but he has overachieved relative to the talent level on that offense. They have not had a good like true wide receiver one type of player on the roster since he took over. Like maybe Amari Cooper for a little bit like Jerry Judy. We know he’s not we know what Steve Smith said about Jerry Judy, right? Like he doesn’t have that dog in him. Um but anyway, I’m I would be all in on Kevin Sansky. I like Kevin Sansky more than Matt Laflur. And I know that that might be controversial, but I think Matt Laflur has had a little more to work with in terms of the roster construction in Green Bay than what Sansky has had to work with in Cleveland and had not obviously the same level of success, but had some success. Had a had a few good seasons when it all came together. And I think I’d love to see what he does with Cam Ward. I also happen to know that Stfansky is big on the VR thing. He used VR with the Vikings in 2017. He brought VR to Cleveland. And uh if he came to Tennessee, it’s already installed. He can just fire it up and let Cam keep running it. If they hire him, you know, he worked with Bill Callahan. Maybe he could hire Bill Callahan to be the offensive line coach. Get out of here. All kidding aside, no, that’s a good I mean, I would be in favor of either of these guys. Offensive minds, they’d be great for Cam Ward’s development. We’re going to end this episode with some rapid fire stock up, stock down on some of the others. And it goes to show you how much things change every week in the National Football League. When the Titans fired Brian Callahan, we’re already going back several weeks, but again, things change quickly. We talked about Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator, potentially being the hottest candidate on the market, period. And look, he might still be a candidate for teams. I don’t know that he’s going to be one here, but he might be a candidate. But the Bills, you know, a disappointing loss to the Dolphins. They lost a couple weeks ago. Was it to the Falcons on prime time? like that, you know, the Patriots leading that division. Um, I’m starting to lean towards Joe Brady gets fired as the Bills offensive coordinator in the off season, especially maybe with an opportunity to bring Brian Dable back, you know, now that he’s available and was so good with Josh Allen in that offense. Like I I like if I had to bet Brady gets a head coaching job or Brady gets fired from Buffalo, I’m now leaning towards Brady getting fired. like that. That’s how crazy the landscape is right now for these court games. Yeah, I think that is like if you had to guess right now what’s more likely, that’s the one I’d pick. And Sean McDermott did say that they’re not going to bring back Brian Dball in season, but that he didn’t that doesn’t mean that doesn’t that doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the offseason. I’m I’m with you that the stock is down there. Um I would say the stock hasn’t changed for me around Robert Salah. Um, I still think that he’s if if he’s interested in the job, the Titans should be interested in him. Uh, despite the fact that the 49ers defense gave up 42 points to the Rams last week, like we’re not going to look at single game outcomes uh in any way. Like that’s not going to swing my opinion on a guy being a head coach candidate. We’re looking at long-term trends here. Um, so Robert Salah is as good as it gets still to me when it comes to currently employed coordinators uh making that jump either to or back to head coach. And then another guy. I’ll just I’ll start eating a little bit of Crow on this, I guess, Justin, even though it’s still very early to do. So, buddy, look, the one thing that I absolutely adore about Clint Kubak’s mind is the idea that he is, and this isn’t like this isn’t super groundbreaking to me, but I don’t know why no one else is doing this at the level he is. He has this thing going where he just is just going to destroy your tendencies or destroy your personnel. He just they keep putting big bodies on the field like they’re going to run the ball and the defense against them matches that and then they pass over their heads because they have a match up mismatch matchup advantage because they have a bunch of run defenders on the field. They can’t cover in space. It’s like they’ve been doing this for 10 weeks and nobody’s decided to just stay in their nickel defense when the heavy personnel comes out. But I think that the the caveat there is like if you did stay in your in your nickel defense, would they just check to a run and and blow you over, bulldoze you with the bigger body personnel they have on the field? Got a fullback. Who has a fullback anymore? Right. I mean, this the Niners do because the Niners are doing this as well. And the Rams do, I think. Do the Rams or the Rams just play a bunch of fullback? But I know Seahawks turned over a bunch of Leafs to find a fullback this off seasonason and they ended up just converting a UDFA tight end to a fullback and he’s doing great. So you’re right, they go to Nickel, you put him, sorry, you put him Zack Charbanet behind him who’s a big powerful back. I mean, pick your poison, right? And it’s just this idea, this very simple idea that what you’re set up to defend, we’re going to do the opposite thing. And it’s like, why is it that why is that so innovative? I don’t know. Because coaches have been coaching football the same way for 50 years with minor tweaks and and adjustments, then you know it goes in cycles. But whatever the current cycle, this is this is my only thing is that can Clint Kubiaak understand the difference between the base idea logic of the trend and the more granular like actuality of way it’s playing out right now. What I mean by that is like the trend is put 12 personnel on the field and pass the ball, but the logic ideology behind it is do what the defense is not expecting you to do and eventually passing out of 12 personnel is not going to be the magic key that it is right now and you have to be able to adjust. But I think that he can do that because um that’s what he’s doing right now is he’s figuring out how to attack defenses and the way to do that the way defenses play right now is put the 12% on the field. But I don’t know, that’s something that really sticks out to me is like you got to be a problem solver and you don’t have to be an innovator necessarily, but you got to find new ways to be attacking a defense. And the way Clint Kubak has done it in Seattle with Sam Darnold at quarterback, I’m in. Whatever. I’m in. Whatever. Who cares? Sam Darnold’s an MVP candidate. I wish I could go back and find I don’t I don’t like calling people out, but I remember in my mind reading a bunch of articles by popular websites saying the Seattle Seahawks had one of the worst off seasons in the NFL. Like paying Sam Darnold coming off Minnesota would be a giant mistake. Moving on from G like moving on from Gino, replacing him with Darnold, hiring Cubak. They nailed everything they did and that’s why they’re seven and two. So yes, like I’m with you. We’re both agree that we want an experienced candidate to be the next head coach and Kubak would be a risk first time all that like similar risk they took with Callahan but to me in terms of the first time coordin coordinator candidates right now I think Kubak’s at the top of my list and uh but again I love them I love the idea of a Lafloransky a Robert Salah I could come around maybe on a Matt Naggie who everyone keeps saying is going to be a really popular candidate. We’ve seen Arthur Smith mentioned like I had come around on a lot of these guys, but Clint Kubak might be the best first time. Jeff Hafley is another one who we talked about. Jesse Mter like there are some other interesting firsttime coordinator candidate. Stock is still up. There’s also the idea that well maybe we’ll get into this in like January or something, but some college guys are going to be hotter names. our our friend Connor our just did a piece on the Giants head coach candidates and listed a lot of head co a lot of college coaches as guys that could make the jump and just quickly to button up this whole conversation the the Titans now have competition for their head coach opening we weren’t expecting them to be the only vacancy this offseason but officially you know with the Giants firing Brian Dball that’s an opening that you know candidates the Titans like might go there in fact the betting favorite right now in the sports books for the next head coach of the New York Giants is Mike McCarthy, a guy that many Titans fans would very much be happy to welcome to Nashville. So, that’s something to keep an eye on. But some of the names that have been linked already early in this process for New York. And again, you know, we talked about names that were linked to the Titans opening like Arthur Smith um back when Brian Call was initially fired. It was like 12 hours later, not even 12, two hours later, there were already these are the keep these keep an eye on these names on the short list for the Titans head coaching search. And like you can kind of clearly tell it’s just dot connecting and agents of those coaches getting those names into reporters mouths. I’m pretty sure that’s what’s happening here. But some interesting names that have been linked I you know quote unquote linked to the Giants job include Lou Anarumo the Colts defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnolo, the Chief’s defensive coordinator who was a one-time interim head coach in New York and Antonio Pierce. Um, so not exactly the type of guys that I’m scared of the like losing from the candidate pool if the Giants were to hire them. Um, yeah, but those names have been linked. And then Marcus Freeman, the Notre Dame head coach, has been linked to that job as well. So, um, it’s all speculative right now. I think we’ll learn obviously a lot more about this when the interviews requests are coming down in early January, but for now, uh, some names to keep an eye on as potential head coach candidates who I don’t think the Titans would necessarily be interested in. Uh, it would be ideal if the Giants hired Antonio Pierce or Steve Spagnolo as their head coach and then the Titans have to worry about one of the candidates they actually like being taken off the market. Yeah, I mean, definitely that that initial list is scary if I was a Giants fan. But yeah, that’s going to do it for this week’s ep or this week’s today’s episode of the Music City Audible podcast. Talking Matt Laflur, talking Kevin Stfansky, uh, two shocking names that might become available for the Titans in their head coaching search and some stock up, stock down on some of the others we briefly touched on. We will be back tomorrow to preview a Tennessee Titans football game. They finally play a game. Yes, kind of. No, I think my like what I’d love to talk about tomorrow is in a way a preview of the Texans at Titans game that is coming up on Sunday, but it’s also sort of like an these are some adjustments I’d love to see post buy for this Titans offense to help maximize Cam Ward and his ability and the rookies in general. Um, so yeah, we’ll preview the game, but it’s going to be more through the lens of like what does the offense need to do better? Not what they need to execute better. What do they literally need to like emphasize more in the play calling and the scheme and the strategy, that kind of stuff? A much more interesting angle than a straightup game preview for a 1 and8 team. So, we’ll be back tomorrow to talk Titans offense and changes they’ve got to make to be more effective on Sunday against the Texans. Until you see us and you tune in tomorrow, leave a comment, subscribe to the channel. We’ve got a new goal. We’re trying to get to 5,500. Is Graver crazy for liking Stfansky better than the floor? Is he crazy for digging the floor? Wouldn’t excite you as a hireer? Let us know. We will be in there as always to reply to your comments. Until tomorrow, y’all stay safe out there and tighten up. A Broadway Sports Media production.

Justin Melo and Justin Graver⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ are back to discuss a pair of potential Tennessee Titans head coaching candidates: two current head coaches who could shockingly lose their jobs this offseason if things don’t turn around for their teams. We also have a brief stock up/down conversation on some coordinator candidates, and check in on how the Giants vacancy could affect the Titans position.

0:00 Surprise Head Coaching Candidates
1:39 Matt LaFleur
16:36 Kevin Stefanski
22:36 Stock Up & Down on Other Candidates
28:40 Giants Vacancy
30:35 Wrap Up

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36 comments
  1. To the devil's advocate side, LaFleur might have benefitted tremendously from the franchise stability that came with the GB gig. Franchise culture had already been established.

  2. I didn't like Lafleur's offense when he was here but after he went to GB I questioned whether Vrabel had the reigns on him which is the most likely case as he did that with everyone. I would take Lafleur in a heartbeat. Only experienced coaches this time around.

  3. John Harbaugh's job was in jeopardy less than a month ago. I don't think Lafleur is getting fired. Stefanski I could definitely see though and he shoots to the top of my list.

  4. Lafleur would be best case scenario!!! Never thought he would be an option. We can’t do a first time coach again. We need someone who knows how to run a professional program.

  5. If Mel Matt LaFleur really didn’t even call a good offense here and his proven track record has been with good offensive head coaches and good offensive teams then honestly in my mind, it’s kinda hard to see him being that much different from Brian Callahan when it comes to running a young rebuilding team’s office to somewhat success

  6. Lafleur would be amazing. Also knows how to develop QB’s and deal in a small market. Give me Lafleaur if he’s available. Immediately a top 2 option to me.

  7. Excitement factor? You know what's exciting? WINNING GAMES. I'd take Lafleur in a heartbeat if he became available! For our current situation a high floor >>> gambling on an unknown ceiling.

  8. I'm usually in the bushes and don't comment, but I had to say something today. I know you all did an abbreviated video talking about Arthur Smith and some potential other head coaching possibilities, but Arthur Smith is it. He was a beast in Tennessee. I will never forget him putting together an entire drive for a touchdown just by running the ball. I remember the announcers and everyone being baffled by what play he was going to run next, because he had everyone in the NFL confused. He should be our next head coach.

  9. Firing Lafleur would be stupid by the Packers like they could get anyone better. Not happening unless they simply tank the rest of the way. Now, the playmakers on offense for the Packers are pretty darn good. So if they can't score points you wonder what the problem is. Real good TE, RB and WRs and Love is 9th of all QBs per PFF. All teams have slumps so it is all about seeing what happens down the stretch. Seems like lots of podcasts are getting ahead of themselves with half a season to play. Lafleur is 50X the coach Callahan is. Lafleur's record is stellar.

  10. Yeah I think I'm totally out on the "up and coming coordinators" this go round. Definitely need someone with HC experience. Lafleur would be a no brainer. Hard to see GB letting him go despite the media reports.

  11. In regards to that temperature check, after the Brian Callahan fiasco I am scared shitless of a noob HC. I would prioritize experience and stability in this next HC search. Matt LaFleur (fat chance) would be an AMAZING get. But I'd also love Mike McCarthy for the stability. Hell, I'd even like Stefanski (if Cleveland lets him go) or Daboll! Both of those guys may not have great records as HCs, but I think in both those cases there was obviously a lot of other dysfunction going on in their respective organizations that lead to their ultimate lack of success. Also they both have DONE THE JOB OF HC and have that experience to build off of and learn from past mistakes. I feel there is too much at stake with the shiny new dome opening in the '27 season. We don't have time to get another HC who has to learn the job AND could still prove to be a total bust in the end. We need to be on solid footing for anyone in Nashville to be at all excited about this dumbass new stadium opening up, not to mention it would be nice to just, ya know, win some games in general.

  12. Derrick Henry wasn’t Derrick Henry before he talked to Eddie George. I remember most of the fanbase was upset he didn’t get dealt at the deadline.

    Matt LeFleur would be a BLESSING. There is no way the packers fire him, it’s all smoke, he’s 5-3-1 for gods sake. Imagine how happy we’d be if the titans were 5–3-1 lol. I think Graver is wrong about there being no excitement factor, maybe right away there won’t be much, but you want to know what’s exciting?? Matt LaFleur averaging like 10+ wins a freaking season! I also personally think Love is a very mediocre player which emphasizes how good LeFleur is. This situation would be similar to Vrabel, good coach gets fired for a year of underperforming and goes on and does great. Except IMO LeFleur is a better coach than Vrabel AND calls plays offensively which helps keep Cam in the same system. LeFleur would be a HOME RUN hire and is my #1 if he gets fired (stupidly).

    I think a young, new fresh HC was exciting and we see how that turned out lol. Miss me with Callahan V2, let’s get the consistently proven good-great coach.

  13. Matt didn't do a great job with the Titans in the past but I think he could do a good job he wouldn't be my first pick but he would be a top candidate

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