Titans’ Past Success Reveals the Blueprint for Their Future

Five seasons removed from their last playoff run, the Tennessee Titans find themselves staring at the top of the NFL Draft again, an unwelcome sign of how far the franchise has fallen. With a coaching change looming and organizational leadership searching for a spark, Tennessee may not find its best guidance in the present but in a familiar place, its own history.

General manager Mike Borgonzi and president of football operations Chad Brinker have said they are prioritizing leadership and collaboration with the front office as they evaluate candidates. One trait that should be added to that list, supported by decades of evidence, a defensive mindset.

For Tennessee, the pattern is unmistakable. Offensive-minded hires have rarely delivered stability or success. Dating back to the Houston Oilers era, the franchise’s strongest seasons have come under defensive coaches.

In 1980, Bum Phillips led the Oilers to an 11–5 record and an AFC Championship Game appearance. Nearly two decades later, Jeff Fisher guided the Titans to three AFC title games in four years, including the franchise’s lone Super Bowl appearance in 1999.

Mike Vrabel was the last to take Tennessee to a conference championship game, doing so in 2019 during his tenure as head coach.

Those seasons weren’t outliers. They reflected a consistent theme: the Titans’ most successful coaches had a defensive background and a philosophy rooted in discipline and detail.

Under Phillips, Fisher and Vrabel, the franchise posted a combined .547 winning percentage, appearing in five AFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl.

By contrast, the four offensive-minded coaches the team had hired since 1980 (Mike Munchak, Ken Whisenhunt, Mike Mularkey, and Brian Callahan) managed just a .362 winning percentage, with no deep postseason runs.

It’s a split so wide it borders on unavoidable.

This should narrow Tennessee’s focus toward two candidates who fit the mold, Chris Shula and Jesse Minter.

Shula, one of the most talked-about names on the coaching market, has risen under Sean McVay’s highly respected coaching tree. He carries one of the strongest football pedigrees in the sport as the son of Dave Shula, nephew of Mike Shula and grandson of legendary head coach Don Shula.

More importantly, he’s built a reputation for defensive expertise and staff development. These are attributes that are desperately needed as they looks to build around young quarterback Cameron Ward and star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.

Minter’s résumé is similarly compelling. Having worked under John and Jim Harbaugh respectively and Clark Lea, he has developed a reputation as a teacher, a communicator and a culture-builder, traits the Titans have lacked in recent seasons.

Players have spoken privately about a leadership void since Vrabel’s departure and Minter’s track record suggests he could restore both order and confidence.

The Titans don’t need to make their decision immediately but they do need to make the right one. The data is clear, the trend unmistakable and when Tennessee leans into its defensive identity, it wins. When it strays from it, the franchise sputters.

History doesn’t guarantee future success but for a team trying to climb out of the NFL’s basement, ignoring it might guarantee more of the same.