The BEST Titans Coaching Candidate No One Is Talking About | MCA Titans Podcast

The BEST Titans Coaching Candidate No One Is Talking About | MCA Titans Podcast

There is one Tennessee Titans head coaching candidate that is not getting talked about enough. He’s not getting the same buzz as other defensive coordinators on a future head coaching track. We’re going to talk about him today, his connections to the Titans, and why he may be the best and most underrated candidate out of all of them. 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 your host Justin Graver. With me as [music] always, Justin Melo and Justin, how you doing today? >> I’m doing well. Doing well. We’ve got a good episode on deck. I I kind of pushed for this one. I think this might be my brainchild, if you will. But excited to talk about a coaching candidate um that’s only briefly been mentioned in this market who probably deserves a bit more buzz than he’s getting. A lot of you are going to be like, “No, right away.” [music] But hear me out. You trust us, don’t you? You know that this podcast is good, that we are smart football minds. Let’s get to the end of it before you make your decision. >> Yes. And I think that I’m sort of in that same boat. Like when I first heard this name and where he’s currently coaching, I was like, “Eh, really?” And then you start digging into his background. You hear him speak, which we’re going to do in just a moment um from ear from last week, midweek last week, a quote that we pulled um that was actually sent to us on Twitter. I became a little bit infatuated with this candidate, Justin. And as you said, he’s we’re not the first people to bring him up. Um you can shout out the people you heard bring him up. I heard Zach and Stony talking about him on F-word Pod last week. Um, and we actually also had a YouTube comment asking us really to kind of do an episode on this particular candidate. Why don’t we stop beating around the bush, Justin? Who are we talking about today? We’re talking about Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Beaver. And uh, you said it and I’m not afraid to admit it. on one of our coaching episodes about a week week and a half ago, someone left a comment saying something along the lines of you guys got to be talking a bit more about Anthony Weaver. Uh, you know, I think it was Braden Gaul on 440 Sports, of course, on the football show talked about him with Nick Sus, Paul Koharsski. Really briefly, he’s been mentioned. F-words pod, as you said. I went back and dug up some of those sound bites from those people that I respect and and you know, mainly mention him in passing. I don’t think that I’ve seen a whole lot of full-blown coverage of Anthony Weaver. And that made me want to kind of go down a rabbit hole. That comment paired with some of those. Diana Rousini, if we’re giving out credit, she mentions him in October when the Titans fired Brian Callahan. One of her initial tweets and stories about the Titans head coaching gig, she threw him in there and he felt very random like Anthony Weaver is, you know, paraded with some of these other guys. Well, maybe she she knows something that we didn’t because as I went down this rabbit hole, I came away pretty darn impressed with his resume and who he is as a person. And um I’ll probably be talking about it for a while. So, I don’t know if you want me to go to you first before I get into the resume, but I I I think this guy is certainly on the trajectory to becoming a head coach. I wrote a good story about it >> on Titansized over the weekend. It got a lot of love on Twitter. This episode’s going to be more fleshed out. You know, those articles that uh a lot of these articles I’m writing are a bit shorter. You know, attention spans nowadays. You guys want to consume things quickly. This pod is going to go into Anthony Weaver a bit more uh than that article did. >> Yes. And I I’ll get us started here. Apologies if I overlap with some of your talking points, but I promise you have more than I do, so let me get a few of these out. Um, I definitely think Anthony Weaver is going to be an NFL head coach. If not in 2026, then 2027 or 2028 at the latest. Like, this guy’s on the track. In 2024, he interviewed with the Falcons, who hired Raheem Morris, and the Commanders, who hired Dan Quinn. In 2025, he interviewed with the Saints twice, becoming a finalist there before they decided to hire Kell Moore. and he also interviewed with the Bears, but I think the Bears sort of always had their sights set on the uh the top candidate of the cycle, which is proving to be fairly accurate in Ben Johnson going up there to Chicago. So, Anthony Weavers interviewed for four different teams. He coached under Mike McDonald alongside Dinard Wilson, which we’re going to talk a bit more about later in Baltimore before becoming the defensive coordinator in Miami. Uh where, you know, the Miami defense, you’re not necessarily super impressed. It’s not like we think of Miami as having a Stonewall great defense, right? But I do think there’s more to being a head coach than looking at their le their most recent coordinator stop as we learned with Mike Vrabel. I know we’re going to talk more about that, too, because the last thing I’ll say before I turn it back over to you, Justin, I’ve talked about Chris Schula and how Chris Schula sort of gives me Mike McDonald vibes. Anthony Weaver gives me Mike Vrabel vibes. And uh back to you to get into some of the why behind that. >> Interesting. I’m really glad you spoke before I did because I’m not going to lie to you. I actually didn’t know that he interviewed with the Bears commanders and Falcons. I I didn’t realize. Um and look, a lot of those, you know, the Bears had their sights set on Ben Johnson, like you said. I I think the Commanders, that was a real messed up search, right? like they thought it was going to be Ben Johnson if I’m recalling correctly and then he kind of pulled out of it last second and they were scrambling. Wasn’t a great search. Bad process may be a good result with Dan Quinn, although that’s not as sure thing anymore as it once was >> into the history of Anthony Weaver. And I’ll try to keep this as brief as I can. I’ve got a ton of notes here. I actually wrote down that’s why I’m looking at my phone because I would have forgotten a bunch of it because there’s so much that I have to say here. He’s drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2002 as a player. Played Dline at Notre Dame. He goes in the second round. I mean, Norre Dame second round pick. A lot of pedigree as a football player. You know who the Ravens first round pick was in that in that draft? This is neither here nor there. But it was Ed Reed. Tough to follow up. Ed Reid. He was a second round pick after they took Ed Reid. And he plays out his whole rookie contract in Baltimore. I don’t I don’t have a ton to say about it. I don’t I don’t know that he ever lived up to the billing of a second round pick as a player, but throughout that four-year tenor as a rookie or sorry, on that rookie contract, I should say, he wasn’t a rookie for four years. He played for some great defensiveminded coaches. Okay. Mike Nolan was there. Rex Ryan was there first as a linebacker’s coach and then position coach. Mike Pton, whose name is going to come up a lot throughout this episode, was also in Baltimore. Mike Singleary was on that staff, a great head coach. And Brian Bilick, you know, throughout that tenor with the Ravens, obviously a Super Bowl winning head coach with that organization. Some good people in the front office. He he he crossed paths within Baltimore. Obviously, a legend like Azie Newsome. Even Eric Dosta at one point he crosses paths paths with in Baltimore. So, he plays for all these great great defensive-minded coaches in Baltimore. And guess who was on that 20 uh 2005 Raven staff. So his final year in Baltimore, a young John Bones Fossil was an assistant special teams coach with that 05 Ravens. Now I couldn’t find special teams snaps. I’m I’m a lunatic. I could maybe you I couldn’t find them for the ’05 Ravens, but I wager that Anthony Weaver spent some time in that special teams room with John Bones Fossil in ’05. So, that’s pretty interesting, right? Well, then he goes to Houston. The four-year rookie contract expires. He goes to Houston as a player still, and he plays three years with the Texans, 06 to08. He’s got a great DC there in Richard Smith who uh I want to say played I can’t remember now played or coached for the Houston Oilers once upon a time. Again, neither here nor there, but uh good DC and Richard Smith coaches him. Robert Salah is on that staff. Yeah, Titans of the If you look in Titans of the South, you might be able to figure that out. Robert Salah was a young coach on one of those Texan staffs. Gary Kubiaak was the head coach uh for that po for that tenor there. Some of the offensiveminded coaches now again listen I a little loosely but a lot of these names are going to come up again in a more meaningful way because he was a player at this time remember that. Not sure he’s spending a lot of time with the offensive-minded coaches, but those Texan staff, Kyle Shanahan and Mike McDaniel were on that same staff. And then Matt Laflur in 2008. And by the way, once in a while, I’m going to sprinkle in a Titans current coach that he came across. I mentioned John Bones Fossil in ’05. Will Titans linebackers coach Frank Bush was on that 2007 Texans coaching staff? Some of this stuff may or may not matter. like the Titans stuff, you know, it’s not going to get him the job that he once upon a time played for a team that employed Frank Bush, but when I think of a head coach coming in here and maybe keeping some of the Titans coaches on staff, like what maybe the first three that I think of, Anthony Weaver knows all of them literally. And that’s playing for John Bones Fossil in ’05, playing for Frank Bush. I think Frank Bush certainly deserves an opportunity to keep his job with with with THE I I TALKED to a lot of coaches, okay, even around college in the NFL that know Frank Bush. They all think the world of Frank Bush. And you look at the step that Cedric Gray has taken this year as a sophomore linebacker. Frank Bush deserves an opportunity to interview for that linebacker job or to state his case, not interview, he doesn’t have to interview, to state his case to keep that job, whoever they hire. It might be notable that Anthony Weaver knows Frank Bush. Okay. Well, his career ends there after 08. Anony’s Weaver does in Houston. He gets into coaching almost immediately. He’s a grad assistant at Florida in 2010 and then he gets his first break, if you will. He becomes a linebacker’s position coach at North Texas uh in 2011. Now, it doesn’t take him long to break into the NFL. Okay? He’s a he’s a GA in 2010. It’s nothing, right? By 2012, he’s coaching in the NFL. Who hires him to be his assistant Dline coach? Rex Ryan, head coach of New York Jets in 2012, who again, by the way, he played for in Baltimore. Okay, I think it’s pretty notable. And this is going to come up over and over again. The DC for that uh team, by the way, for that 2012 Jets team is Mike Pton, who coached with Rex Ryan, who together coached Anthony Weaver in Baltimore. Okay. Well, that gig only lasts one year for Anthony Weaver as assistant Dline coach with the Jets in 2012. By 2013, the next season, he is the Buffalo Bills Dline coach. So, it’s a step up. Assistant position coach. He now becomes a full-blown position coach in 2013. You want to guess who the who the defensive coordinator was for the Bills in 2013? [sighs] >> Ah, Rex Ryan. I don’t know. [laughter] >> Close. It’s not. It’s Mike Pton who he has now had three stops with, right? He’s played for Mike Pton in Baltimore and now he’s coached with them in with the Jets and the Bills. Well, that gig only lasts one year. And in 2014, Anthony Weaver is named Dline coach again in Cleveland this time. And it’s it lasts two years this time. Okay. 2014 2015. He’s the Dline coach. DO YOU WANT TO GUESS WHO THE BROWNS HEAD COACH WAS in 2014? >> Mike Patton. I remember. >> You’re a smart fella. You’re catching on. You were You didn’t >> No, I remember I I I just remember who the Browns [laughter] head coach. >> I figured, but I’m kidding. So Mike Pton coaches this guy in Baltimore, brings him with him to the Jets, brings him with him to Buffalo, brings him with him to Cleveland. Okay. And by the way, this is just stick a a footnote in this, maybe a pin in it, if you will. Mike Pence’s tenor is talked about in Cleveland. Like it was awful. He’s one of the worst head coaches. I don’t remember a lot about it, but I find it hilarious that Mike Pton might be one of the best coaches I’ve ever seen at hiring assistant coaches. Okay, as bad as he was, the offensive coordinator for that team was Kyle Shanahan. Okay, on that BROWNS TEAM, LIKE MIKE PATTON SAW the vision before anybody else did. The wide receivers’s coach was Mike McDaniel on that Browns team. The defensive backs coach WAS JEFF HAFLEY, THE CURRENT DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR for the Green Bay Packers, who’s getting a ton of head coaching love as well. And of course, Anthony Weaver on that staff. You want to know who assistant? So, Jeff Hafley was the DB’s coach. Okay. Do you want to know who his two assistants DB coaches were? Like, this is impossible. Aaron Glenn, the current head coach of the New York Jets, and Bobby Babich, the current defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills. Do you want to know who Mike Penn’s quarterback’s coach was in 2015 for that Browns team that Anthony Weaver was with? Like, I I got tears in my eyes. I feel like such a football nerd. Kevin Oonnell was the quarterback’s going, “Is this the best coaching staff of all time?” And maybe it was maybe they were all too young. and uh Mike Penn maybe wasn’t a good head coach. The infamous Washington staff I think tops this one, but this is right. And the Houston that Houston staff that under I think Kubiak that had all those the same guys that were in Washington, right? So I thought that was hilarious. But fast forwarding. So that lasts the two years. Mike Pence’s fired. Anthony Weaver’s got to move on. In 2016, he breaks away from that tree. He breaks away from the Mike Pence and the Rex Ryans and everyone else, the Shanahans, the McDaniels, the guys he’s encountered a bunch of times. He goes to the Houston Texans and becomes their Dline coach in 2016. And in all honesty, all honesty, I didn’t remember this. I can’t believe he never coached for the Tennessee Titans at some point because from 2016 to 2019, he’s there and here’s four years. Romeo Krenell is the defensive coordinator. So, continuing the theme of working under some really good minds throughout his career, both as a player and as a coach. That was Mike Vrabel’s first year as linebackers coach for the Texans, right? So, they were both position coaches. And then Vrabel becomes the DC, I guess, in 2017, right? I think it was times hired in 2018. >> Yep. >> So, Vel is the defensive coordinator in 2017 and he keeps Anthony Weaver on staff. You raised your eyebrows when you said when I said that. But look, he coached in Houston with Mike Vrabel, Anthony Bobby King, Shane Bowen, uh Tim Kelly, like a bunch of guys that became Titans coaches under Mike Vrabel. Anthony Weaver was on that same staff. Well, he gets promoted in 2020 um to defensive coordinator. I didn’t remember this. Anthony Weaver was the Texans defensive coordinator in 2020. Well, that only lasts a year. in 2021 when we get to the more recent stint that you’ll better recall. He’s named the Baltimore Ravens Dline coach and run game coordinator. So maybe continuing the theme of elevating uh through the coaching ranks here. He gets the double duty, if you will, and he continues coaching under some brilliant minds. Obviously, John Harbaugh is his head coach in 2021. He’s got Greg Roman as the offensive coordinator. Wink Martindale is the defensive coordinator and Rob Ryan, so some connection to the Ryans here, is the linebacker’s coach. Well, just one year later, okay, after being the Dline coach there in Baltimore, they add assistant head coach to his title, I didn’t know this either until I went down the rabbit hole, and that staff has changed at this point. So now you’ve got Mike McDonald as the defensive coordinator in 2022 who replaced Wink Martindale. You’ve got Zack Ore as a linebacker’s coach then who’s now the Ravens defensive coordinator. You’ve got Todd Monkin, another great great coach who’s the offensive coordinator. And as you alluded to, Dinard Wilson as the DB’s coach on those Ravens teams for 2022 2023. So he’s now come across three Titan staffers, right? And maybe more along, you know, I I was pretty thorough, but John Bones, Fossil, uh uh Frank Bush, and Dinard Wilson. very again not going to be a not going to help decide whether or not he gets the job or not even going to decide if he’s even a candidate here I don’t think but there are two other people in Tennessee right now that I do think could help make him a candidate for this Titans job before I get to them and his connections uh would you like to say anything >> no I think tell get go through these last connections and then I’ll talk about the potential what he could potentially bring and we’ll listen to him speak as well. >> So, these are really interesting to me. So, as you said, um and I I didn’t get through the job history, maybe I should. I could tie this together. Um he becomes the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins in 2024. He’s now in his second year in that role. You talked about Go ahead. that I was going to say that was the year where they had sort of a max exodus from Baltimore when Mike McDonald leaves to become the head coach of Seattle, Dinard Wilson leaves to become the defensive coordinator for the Titans and Weaver left who was also their assistant head coach to become the defensive coordinator for the Dolphins. So the the Ravens lost a lot of personnel and I remember just I remember like thinking their defense was going to take a step back after that year because so much of the brain trust left. >> Well, it goes to show you that was a really good defensive coaching staff, right? And Anthony Weaver was a part of that. I’m just saying. So, in 2024, he becomes the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins. Before I get to the connections, you know what’s really notable to me about that? Mike McDaniel is now the second person who has uh because remember McDaniel was on that first Texan staff when Anthony Weaver was a player in 2008. So, I tend to operate under the belief that NFL coaches tend to be pretty smart and know what they’re doing. And it really does strike me that a bunch of coaches throughout the early portion of his playing career later went on to hire him. Now, the the caveat there, if you want to push back on me, is he actually did eventually coach with Mike McDaniel on that uh that Brown staff later, but in Mike Pence’s case, like he hired him before he was even a coach, right? Like before Weaver was a coach. So, multiple coaches that he played for hire him. That’s really interesting to me. I think they know what it looks like and they’re able to identify that early on. and Mike Pton, Rex Ryan, and Mike McDaniel all did that with Anthony Weaver very early in his playing career. >> I said before, he gives me Varel vibes. And this is one of those reasons because you heard all the stories when Vrabel was interviewing for head coaching jobs, how every coach that he played for and all of his teammates back when he was a player with the Patriots, they all said the same thing. this guy is a future NFL head coach and Vrabel gets hired in Houston because of the connection to Bill O’Brien and then obviously brought back to New England where he was a legendary player. Like there’s there’s similar signs there of what this guy was like as a player that showed the ability to lead a team as its head coach. And I think when the Titans are looking for the candidate they’re looking for in this particular cycle where it’s not necessarily about being a genius schemer, it’s about being able to lead men in the in an NFL tough environment locker room. This is the kind of guy you’re looking for. I don’t know. The Titans had Mike Vrabel. They were stupid enough to let him go. We don’t have to get into that. Do they get like a second chance here with an Anthony Weaver type? Maybe depending on the connections that he has to the uh to the front office. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you admit that on here. The connections that Anthony Weaver has. So, obviously gets hired in Miami in 2024. Well, who’s on that front office staff? That’s current Titans president. I think he’s got double duty role. Reggie McKenzie. I believe he’s got two titles. Reggie McKenzie. Okay. So, that’s connection number one. I I think that’s notable. And I’m going to get to maybe why that’s notable or more notable in a second. in 2020 before the 2025 season. So last off season, you mentioned he interviewed with the New Orleans Saints twice for their head coaching vacancy, he became a finalist uh for that job. Now they end up hiring Kellen Moore, who I believe, if you remember, I I think maybe not quite as strong as the Bears Ben Johnson thing, but I do think the Saints kind of had their sight set on Kell Moore. I remember hearing Kell Moore connected to the Saints very early in their process. But the point is, Anthony Weaver was right there with them on that final line of interviews. Do you know who was employed with the Saints throughout that process in 2024? Current Titans assistant general manager Dave Ziegler. Now, I don’t think I’m getting uh in front of my skis here, okay? Ziegler first joined the Saints as a like advisor, okay, after he got fired from his GM gig with the Raiders. But they did end up hiring him and bringing him on the staff in a more full-time capacity. Now, Ziegler left New Orleans for Tennessee two weeks before the Saints hired Kell Moore. That to me means nothing. You’re telling me Ziegler was not involved in that process that initially identified Anthony Weaver as a candidate? That didn’t all happen in the two weeks after Ziggler left. They fired their head coach in the middle of the season just like the right they fired it was Dennis Allen I believe in the middle of that 2024 season that process of identifying candidates started right away and Dave Ziegler was there for like three to four months of it. There is no way, even though he wasn’t here when they made the final decision, there is no way that Ziggler wasn’t involved in some of those early conversations about Anthony Weaver, especially considering he becomes a finalist and interviews for the job multiple times. Why I think these connections matter. Okay, Mike Moronzi, every time he gets in front of a microphone or Chad Brinker, either or. It doesn’t matter. They both think the world of Reggie McKenzie and Dave Ziegler. They are always talking about their support staff. Their support staff. Remember Chad Brinker made the comment he got some flack for it. I didn’t think he deserved it. We have eight Super Bowl rings between this front office. They love Dave Ziggler and Reggie McKenzie. Now I I’m starting to feel like Charlie Day. You know the meme and it’s always sunny with the conspiracy board and pointing at everything. The Titans did not hire a search firm for this hiring this upcoming head coaching hiring process. If you guys are unfamiliar, a lot of teams appoint an outside firm to help them identify candidates. The Titans did not do that. I don’t mind that they did not do that. But what does that tell me? They are relying on their in-house resources to come up with this list. Okay? And guess what? That is a small staff of people. Reggie McKenzie and Dave Ziegler are not going to make this higher, but they are going to have a voice at the round table. They already have. We’re months into this process. They fired Callahan in October. they already have when they have sat at that table and put together names on a list of who they believe the Titans should interview. I don’t believe for one second that Mike Borghazi is not listening to that advice and not taking them seriously. And both of them, both of Mike Boronzi and Chad Brinker’s right-hand men, if you will, have had positive experiences with Anthony Weaver. one in New Orleans through a coaching search and one on Miami because he saw uh the job that he did as the coordinator and the love and affinity Mike McDaniel had about making that hire. I will feel like an idiot and will be shocked, STUNNED, RUN A MUCK as Stephen A. Smith says if Anthony Weaver doesn’t at least interview for this job. >> I 100% agree. I think this is um maybe the most sure potential interview. I would put this as I am more sure the Titans will interview Anthony Weaver than I am that they will interview Matt Naggie or Mike McCarthy because of the specific New Orleans example. >> Like Dave Zaggler has already led led a coaching search one year ago. Not led but was heavily involved in a coaching search one year ago that ended up with this guy as a finalist. there’s no chance that he involved in another coaching search one year later with that guy still available that he doesn’t come in at least for an interview. And I think before you and I talk anymore about Weaver and why we think he can, you know, what qualities will make him a good head coach and why it doesn’t really matter that, you know, Miami’s defensive rankings, wherever they are, like I haven’t even looked at them and we’ll talk about them in a second. Let’s first listen to Anthony Weaver talk and get a sense of uh who this guy is. What’s his vibe? What’s his aura? Is he going to be the leader the Titans are looking for? Well, decide for yourself. I try very hard as a coach like we are we are demanding and when we cross those white lines I expect the absolute best from you each and every day but the one thing we’ve always strived to do on defense is to not lose the joy in this game right we all get paid a king’s ransom to to coach or play a kid’s game in each level right when you you play popcorn you’re playing just for the love and for the joy high school you’re doing the same thing college particularly nowadays with NIL money I Notre Dame owes me some post-dated checks, but um it just it just starts to become more of a business and often when you get to the NFL level like you just it becomes very selfish in nature and we try everything we do to combat that. So I think that celebration and camaraderie that you see on defense is something that we’re we’re we’re constantly preaching about protecting the pack, right? old school like the strength the strength of the wolf is the pack and um I [clears throat] think you see a collection of it of guys who are very talented who understand that in order for us to be at our absolute best we need to do it together and we cannot do it alone now that celebration started one day when I walked into the meeting room and they were everybody that walked in they just started doing that and I’m like all right I guess this is a thing now which is pretty cool so I don’t even know who actually started the tradition But now this year, man, let’s let’s keep it going as long as we possibly can. >> Your name? >> That was to literally everybody that walked in the meeting room that day. They were like, “Russell Douglas.” And then somebody else would walk in and they go again. I just let it keep I just let it keep going. I was like, “Go ahead, guys. We’re good.” >> So Weaver there is talking about some unique celebration that Dolphins players have been doing this season on defense. But another little verbalism coming out of that sound bite. Justin Mike Frabel always used to talk about how you go celebrate with your teammates. Somebody makes a play on defense, everyone should be there celebrating with your teammates. You do it together. And uh there you hear Anthony Weaver preaching a similar message. I I really like this guy like as like as a person what he like his presence standing in front of a team. He can feel it, right? And I would not would not bet against him in a fight against any of the other coaches. Throw variable and Salah and whoever you want in there. Dan Campbell. I’m taking my I’m putting my money on Anthony Weaver. Look at this guy. He’s a monster. When I tweeted my article out over the weekend about him, I had someone reply in the comments say, “Pass Brian Callahan 2.0.” Did that sound like Brian Callahan to you when you watch that clip? Do you get any of the same vibe that No, that is a naturalb born leader culture builder. That’s what it’s supposed to look like. Okay. And by the way, right before you played the clip, you talked about the defensive numbers in Miami and and and take it with a grain of salt. While I do agree, now mind you, this is pre- Monday Night Football. Uh I expected them to be worse. Like when I wrote the article prior to this past week, they were like n middle of the pack in yards and points allowed. That’s not bad for a team that’s six and eight. I think they were 15th in points allowed. They’re six and eight. So the numbers aren’t as bad as it looks. And honestly, I I don’t give a damn. Again, like the Mike Vrabel thing, I don’t give a damn. Right. Like the worst defense in in in in football when he was the coordinator for the Texans, Varel. I don’t give a damn. It doesn’t have bearing on the job that you’re going to do as a head coach. >> The one question, the one question the Titans should have for Anthony Weaver, uh, of course, when when they interview him, because I’m I’m putting that out there, it’s going to be about the type of coaching staff he could put together, right? like who would his offensive coordinator be? Who would his defensive coordinators be? Would he be interested in retaining guys like Dinard Wilson, Frank Bush, and and John Bones Fossil? Now, it’s almost cruel to me that this guy has such incredible connections to uh to so many offensive-minded coaches, but I imagine none of them are going to be available to be his offensive coordinator. the fact Kyle Shanahan, Matt Lafleur, help me out here. They’re all the same names. Mike McDaniel, uh there was a fourth I think that I had that I wanted to mention. Kevin Oonnell, who he was on the same like the fact that he knows all of those guys, but uh none of them are probably going to be available to to to sign on as his offensive coordinator. Here’s an interesting one that I a couple ones that I did think about. Uh was Sanjay Lal, a well-renowned wide receivers coach who’s been around for a while. And another one that really intrigued me was uh TJ Yates. You know, TJ Yates, who a former quarterback I think is on that might be on that like Mike Kafka trajectory where I think eventually he’s going to get himself into those coordinator head coaching discussions. Uh Yates was with that 2019 I think it was Texans team. So he knows TJ Yates. He knows Todd Monkin. He knows Greg Roman. like if you know something if something like that were to become available then maybe uh but for me I think what’s important here is not so much yeah you’d love to see him hire one of those guys but even though he probably won’t be able to what does give me some confidence in his ability to hire an offensive coordinator is that he’s been around so many good ones that he probably has a good feel for what it’s supposed to look like right and again like these Shanahan and Laflur, Okonnell, McDaniel trees are starting to expand so much that he might know someone from one of those trees through one of those guys, right? There might probably someone on the Miami staff right now uh under coach McDaniel that he could bring with him to be the coordinator. So, as much as I wish he could hire a Shanahan or a McDaniel uh or an a Kevin O’Connell, I have some confidence that he knows what it looks like. And through those guys and through his playing career and coaching career, he probably still has some some pretty good connections to some some good coordinator candidates. >> Yeah. And I’m okay with him being a defensive-minded guy. We talked last week with Mike Hearnen about this, why we’re okay with them going the defensive route and hiring an offensive coordinator who can focus solely on developing Cam Ward and, you know, running a good offense and not have to worry about all the other head coach stuff. And if you end up losing that OC in a couple years, then you know what, Justin, I haven’t said this yet. I’ll put it out there. I’ve been saving this take two and this would never happen. This is why I haven’t said anything. My absolute dream coach to bring in on the staff as probably offensive coordinator would be Eric Morris. Eric Morris, dude, can you imagine Eric Morris? a coach who recruited Cam Ward to Incarnate Word, took him with him to Washington State, said during the Zerostar documentary that he treated he thought of Cam Ward like his own son when they were together up there at Wazu cuz it was so far away from from Cam Ward’s home and where he grew up and his family and anyone he knew that he felt like he had to protect him up there in the cold. And uh Eric Morris was the head coach at last year, just took the head coaching job at Oklahoma State, so I highly doubt he’s going to leave there, you know, anytime soon. But if he gets an NFL opportunity, you know, maybe in three to four years to go coach Cam Ward, um after, you know, doing well at Oklahoma State, maybe if uh the Titans hire an OC who gets a head coaching job cuz the offense is awesome. Maybe eventually, Justin, my dream would come true of reuniting the two of them. But I do think um yeah, you named a bunch of guys that probably aren’t available. I don’t know if it’s out of the realm of possibility that the Dolphins fire Mike McDaniel. Like I think there is some culture issues going on there when your starting quarterback can’t win a football game because it’s colder than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Like that’s crazy that that’s still a thing. Um so I think I think there’s a chance, but I don’t know if I would want that cuz then you’re just like you’re just taking the Dolphin staff and flip-flopping to DC and OC who’s the head coach. Um assuming that doesn’t I would be okay with it to be honest. >> I’d be okay with I’d be interested to see if like let’s put McDaniel let’s let him focus on the offense. Let’s let Weaver focus on the culture and maybe you retained Dinard Wilson because not only did they overlap in Baltimore, they worked extremely closely together. Weaver was the defensive run game coordinator while Dinard Wilson was the defensive pass game coordinator. Uh you know, working under Mike McDonald together, but they’re helping coordinate two different areas of the defense. Like they have to be in sync with what they’re doing there. Um and Weaver was assistant head coach during that time as well. So obviously like they’re all in the defensive meeting rooms together coming up with game plans. they must have a pretty close working relationship. They both go off and get decoordinator roles during the same hiring cycle. Um, I definitely could see a scenario where Weaver at least interviews Wilson to retain him as DC and maybe he goes a different direction because he has new experiences or whatever. Maybe he’s, you know, dreamed of being a head coach since 2024 and he’s already got his dream staff in mind. But, um, I think it’s possible that you retain Dinard Wilson. I think I think the front office is going to suggest to whoever it is that they retain Bones Fossil unless they can present a better stronger candidate. So, I think you know he because of all those connections like you get to retain some of the guys that you really like possibly and you bring in a guy who you know based on the press conferences I’ve seen and you can go find miked up videos of this guy and whatever else you need to see of him to convince yourself that he’s got the personality the it factor to again just command a room the presence in front of a team. I would kind of be all in on Anthony Weaver. Um, you know, it’s it’s all a crapshoot, right? With a first- time head coach. You kind of just have to bet on traits almost like scouting players in the draft. And I would bet on Anthony Weaver’s traits. I want to close out quickly by talking about some of the coaches on that Miami staff right now that would potentially be offensive coordinator candidates. It just show you how many of them there are. Eric Studsville, Studsville, I’ve always seen the name. I don’t know if I’m pronouncing it correctly, but one of the best running back coaches in the NFL. He’s also been a run game coordinator. He was co-offensive coordinator for the Dolphins in 2021. Uh he’s now the associate head coach. He was an interim head coach for the Denver Broncos 15 years ago. This is a guy who’s been around and is a really really good coach and kind of knows what it looks like. He’s even coached special teams in the past. He’s got one of the most diverse coaching resumes you’ll find in the NFL right now. Also associate head coach for the Dolphins. He’s got they got two associate head coaches and tight ends coach uh John Embry. This is a guy who’s been a bit of everywhere as well. Mostly a tight end’s coach, but he was the Colorado Buffalo’s head coach in 2011, way back when. So, he’s got some college head coaching experience. He’s been an assistant head co. He was assistant head coach for 5 years in San Francisco from 2017 to 2021. Obviously, some of that under Kyle Shanahan before he ends up joining with Mike McDaniel in Miami. So, this is a really smart guy as well. Do you know who’s the How about a name I don’t want to overlook because it’d be silly of us. Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith who doesn’t call plays in Miami right now because of Mike McDaniel. This is a guy I remember talking about >> a couple of years ago in relation to a job on the Titans staff. He was a Chargers run game coordinator a couple years ago. He’s been an offensive line coach. He’s been a tight end coach. He’s now the offensive coordinator. Really diverse coaching resume learning under Mike McDaniel. Maybe he wants an opportunity to come call plays. Do you know who the passing game coordinator is for the Dolphins right now? because I didn’t. It’s Bobby Slowick who I I’m not so sure deserve to get fired as a Texans offensive coordinator cuz it hasn’t really gotten better in Houston since he left. Like >> it has the last >> six weeks or so. Maybe Nick Kay’s offense took a while for Straoud to pick up with all the pre-nap stuff they’re doing now. And it has it has taken off a bit over the last month and a half. >> But I don’t think Bobby Sloick was by any stretch of the imagination a disaster. So listen, like Anthony Weaver, Frank Smith, Bobby Slowick, one of these guys I just mentioned, all the connections, whether it’s someone he knows through Shanahan, Okonnell, like there’s gonna there would be someone that would come here and be a really intriguing offensive coordinator uh candidate for Anthony Weaver. That’s going to do it for this episode of the Music City Audible podcast. Did we sell you on Anthony Weaver as a candidate? Yes. No. Did you like my deep dive? Drop a comment below. Subscribe to the channel. Let us know what you think. I bet I educated you a whole lot on a guy that the Titans are gonna interview. I’m predicting in January. Let us know what you think of Anthony Weaver in the comments below. We will be back tomorrow with Titans legend Nate Washington making his Music City Audible debut. He’s going to talk Cam Ward. 2025 Titans, his experiences playing for the Titans, head coaching searches, rookie quarterbacks he played with in Tennessee, what it’s supposed to look like, and the release of his new book, Football Was My Father. Can’t wait to have Nate Washington on here tomorrow. Until then, y’all stay safe out there [music] and tighten up. >> [music] >> A Broadway Sports Media production.

Justin Melo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Justin Graver⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ are back to discuss another viable Tennessee Titans head coaching candidate, one who has gone under the radar compared to some of the bigger names but might end up as the best of the bunch. We talk through his resume and background, his connections to the Titans front office, potential coordinator hires, and the leadership qualities he displays.

0:00 The most underrated coaching candidate
3:45 Resume & Background
17:52 Connections to Titans Front Office
26:18 Leadership Qualities
30:00 Potential coordinators and staff hires
38:36 Wrap Up

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