- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,150,340
- Reaction score
- 59
The Tennessee Titans finally got their next head coach earlier this week when they hired San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to fill the vacant role. Now that Saleh is on board, the next step in building a new coaching staff is to hire an offensive coordinator.
Saleh is a defensive-minded head coach. Despite playing as a tight end in college, Saleh's coaching experience is all on the defensive side of the ball, so hiring the right offensive coordinator is imperative to the Titans' success. Rather than looking for a fresh face, the Titans' search will look at veteran OCs with proven success. We've narrowed that search down to the top seven candidates.
Klay Kubiak has coached for the 49ers since 2021, working his way up the ranks to his promotion to offensive coordinator in 2025. This is the one year Kubiak and Saleh have coached together, but their familiarity gives Kubiak an edge. Saleh is said to have a specific plan for Cam Ward, and having someone he is familiar with and trusts will be key to implementing it.
We all know the connection between Matt Nagy and Mike Borgonzi stems from their working together in Kansas City. Nagy already interviewed for the head coaching position, and it's reasonable to assume he will be considered for this role as well. The bigger likelihood for Nagy, though, is that he lands on the Titans' staff as an offensive assistant since his contract with the Chiefs is up.
Smith's first 10 years coaching in the NFL were with the Titans. He worked his way up to offensive coordinator in 2019. In 2021, Smith was hired as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. After being fired in 2023, Smith joined the Steelers in 2024 as offensive coordinator, which is where he remains. Because of Smith's familiarity with the Titans' organization, he is a top candidate.
A former quarterback-turned-coach, Kafka has been to the Super Bowl with the Chiefs, and he's been with the Giants since 2022 as their offensive coordinator. In 2024, he added assistant head coach to his title, which he retained in 2025. When the Giants fired Brian Daboll in the middle of the season, Kafka took over as interim head coach. Kafka and Mike Borgonzi worked together for five years in Kansas City.
Slowik worked directly with Saleh in 2017-2018 as a defensive quality control coach for the 49ers. He moved to the offensive side of the ball after that, but remained with the 49ers until he was hired by the Houston Texans as offensive coordinator in 2023. He is the Dolphins' current passing game coordinator, but with his experience, coaching style, and familiarity with Robert Saleh, Slowik remains a top candidate.
Kingsbury has been back and forth between the NCAA and NFL as a coach, so his experience with young quarterbacks is quite robust. He also has head coaching experience at the professional level, but he doesn't have any real connections to Robert Saleh or the Titans. Kingsbury stands out on record alone, but that may not be enough to land him this job.
Reports are flowing in that Daboll will end up in Tennessee if he doesn't land the head coaching job with the Buffalo Bills. He has a connection to Borgonzi; Daboll was the Chiefs' offensive coordinator in 2012. Despite his lackluster head coaching record with the Giants, Daboll is a known offensive genius and would give Cam Ward a huge boost, similarly to how he helped Josh Allen when he was drafted to the Bills in 2018, where Daboll was the offensive coordinator for four seasons before joining the Giants.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans: Ranking the top 7 offensive coordinator candidates
Continue reading...
Saleh is a defensive-minded head coach. Despite playing as a tight end in college, Saleh's coaching experience is all on the defensive side of the ball, so hiring the right offensive coordinator is imperative to the Titans' success. Rather than looking for a fresh face, the Titans' search will look at veteran OCs with proven success. We've narrowed that search down to the top seven candidates.
7. Klay Kubiak, OC, San Francisco 49ers
Klay Kubiak has coached for the 49ers since 2021, working his way up the ranks to his promotion to offensive coordinator in 2025. This is the one year Kubiak and Saleh have coached together, but their familiarity gives Kubiak an edge. Saleh is said to have a specific plan for Cam Ward, and having someone he is familiar with and trusts will be key to implementing it.
6. Matt Nagy, OC, Kansas City Chiefs
We all know the connection between Matt Nagy and Mike Borgonzi stems from their working together in Kansas City. Nagy already interviewed for the head coaching position, and it's reasonable to assume he will be considered for this role as well. The bigger likelihood for Nagy, though, is that he lands on the Titans' staff as an offensive assistant since his contract with the Chiefs is up.
5. Arthur Smith, OC, Pittsburgh Steelers
Smith's first 10 years coaching in the NFL were with the Titans. He worked his way up to offensive coordinator in 2019. In 2021, Smith was hired as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. After being fired in 2023, Smith joined the Steelers in 2024 as offensive coordinator, which is where he remains. Because of Smith's familiarity with the Titans' organization, he is a top candidate.
4. Mike Kafka, Interim HC, New York Giants
A former quarterback-turned-coach, Kafka has been to the Super Bowl with the Chiefs, and he's been with the Giants since 2022 as their offensive coordinator. In 2024, he added assistant head coach to his title, which he retained in 2025. When the Giants fired Brian Daboll in the middle of the season, Kafka took over as interim head coach. Kafka and Mike Borgonzi worked together for five years in Kansas City.
3. Bobby Slowik, passing game coordinator, Miami Dolphins
Slowik worked directly with Saleh in 2017-2018 as a defensive quality control coach for the 49ers. He moved to the offensive side of the ball after that, but remained with the 49ers until he was hired by the Houston Texans as offensive coordinator in 2023. He is the Dolphins' current passing game coordinator, but with his experience, coaching style, and familiarity with Robert Saleh, Slowik remains a top candidate.
2. Kliff Kingsbury, former OC, Washington Commanders
Kingsbury has been back and forth between the NCAA and NFL as a coach, so his experience with young quarterbacks is quite robust. He also has head coaching experience at the professional level, but he doesn't have any real connections to Robert Saleh or the Titans. Kingsbury stands out on record alone, but that may not be enough to land him this job.
1. Brian Daboll, former HC, New York Giants
Reports are flowing in that Daboll will end up in Tennessee if he doesn't land the head coaching job with the Buffalo Bills. He has a connection to Borgonzi; Daboll was the Chiefs' offensive coordinator in 2012. Despite his lackluster head coaching record with the Giants, Daboll is a known offensive genius and would give Cam Ward a huge boost, similarly to how he helped Josh Allen when he was drafted to the Bills in 2018, where Daboll was the offensive coordinator for four seasons before joining the Giants.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans: Ranking the top 7 offensive coordinator candidates
Continue reading...
