In an unprecedented move, Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel announced that his team would not have a defensive coordinator next season.
The Tennessee Titans and head coach Mike Vrabel didn’t come right out and say the team would not have a defensive coordinator in 2020, but they might as well have. #Titanshttps://t.co/GDN3fWnCPj via @MGsports_ pic.twitter.com/6avkzZz802
— Nashville Post (@NashvillePost) February 7, 2020
Vrabel cited the fact that he wants continuity on that side of the ball. With the retirement of Dean Pees, the Titans defensive coordinator through last season, he doesn’t want someone who is not familiar with the way the defense is built, to try and change the style of it.
The Titans did hire former New Orleans Saints head coach Jim Haslett as inside linebacker coach earlier this week. Haslett has past coordinator experience with the Saints, St. Louis Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Washington Redskins.
Coach Vrabel said they would call defensive plays by committee, with he having the final say, of course. It does help that he was a defensive player as well as defensive coordinator with the Houston Texans before getting hired by the Titans.
If this experiment works out well, this could be the next big trend league-wide. While many teams have had some success without an official offensive coordinator, the defensive side of the ball, may not make things as easy as Vrabel envisions them to be.
The Titans defense finished 11th in points allowed per game, 22nd in yards allowed, and they were tied for 10th in takeaways. Although it seemed at crucial times when they needed a critical stop or turnover they got it.
