The Tennessee Titans shocked the NFL world on Tuesday, when they announced that they had relieved head coach Ken Whisenhunt of his duties. They have named Mike Mularkey interim head coach.
"After thoughtful consideration, the decision has been made to relieve Ken Whisenhunt of his head coaching duties," said Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk in a statement on the team website. "We have expected more progress on the field, and I felt it was time to move in a different direction. I would like to thank Ken for his efforts with our team, as he worked very hard to try to move us forward."
Whisenhunt took over the top spot for the Titans only a season and a half ago. 23 games into his tenure, he carries a 3-20 record, moving his career head coaching record to just 48-71. Tennessee finished 2-14 in his first season at the helm, and he currently has the team at 1-6 and last place in the struggling AFC South.
The Titans made clear as part of their release announcing Whisenhunt's termination that much of the fault lies with the grizzled head coach's inability to create a sustainable offensive presence. Despite the addition of quarterback Marcus Mariota at the top of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Titans offense continued to struggle - a theme that has followed Whisnehunt throughout his head coaching career, despite his success as an offensive coordinator in stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers.
The Titans are currently second-to-last in the league in team offense, averaging a paltry 282.2 yards and just 13.6 points per game.
Whisenhunt admitted himself that things were not shaping up the way he had intended already this season.
"Our win-loss total is not good, so no matter what I say, it's not going to be good enough. All I can do is tell you we're going to work hard to swing it hard the other way,'' Whisenhunt said recently.
"We're in here working. We're trying. We feel like we've done some things that have been good, but they're obviously not good enough."
That phrase, "not good enough," may be the perfect one to sum up Whisenhunt's short time in Tennessee.
Mularkey, the man who will replace Whiz, has three prior years of NFL head coaching experience - two with the Buffalo Bills, one with the Jacksonville Jaguars. His career head coaching record is 23-25. He's operated as tight ends coach and Whisenhunt's right hand man over the last couple of seasons.
While Mularkey is a strong veteran presence who will help shepherd the Titans through the remainder of the current season, it's all but certain that Strunk and the rest of the franchise's decision-makers will be hot on the trail of a new head coach - yet again - this offseason.
Fortunately for Titans fans, the team's personnel cupboard is not bare. Mariota looks like a promising young franchise quarterback and there is talent at the receiving positions. The defense also looks as though it has some up-and-coming building blocks, though no stars yet.
Still, there are issues all along the offensive line and the defense has for too long been unable to draft and develop a true impact player.
The next Titans head coach will have his work cut out for him, but there is certainly talent in place to start on that road with.
