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About a week into the Tennessee Titans' coaching search process, here is a recap.
The Titans have interviewed, scheduled interviews with or requested interviews with at least 14 candidates thus far, as general manager Mike Borgonzi leads the search committee to find the Titans' full-time replacement for former coach Brian Callahan. Some of the candidates are household names. Others are ascendant names in the coaching community looking for their first crack at being a head honcho. And some are quasi-forgotten figures from a couple cycles back who've risen back into the spotlight.
Here's a quick refresher on the Titans' coaching search as of the morning Friday, Jan. 9.
Anarumo was one of the first candidates the Titans reached out to, and one of the first to complete an interview. Anarumo is best known for his work in Cincinnati, coordinating the defenses during the Bengals' deep playoff runs in 2021 and 2022. He helped the Colts out to a hot start in 2025 before the season fell apart in the second half.
Joseph is the first of many former head coaches who've been in contact with the Titans. The architect behind Denver's top-ranked defense and pass rush in 2025, Joseph was also Denver's head coach for two seasons, achieving less-than-stellar results. But the development of Denver's front seven under Joseph's watch has vaulted him back into prominence as a candidate.
McCoy interviewed for the job he's already filled. After the Titans fired Callahan, McCoy stepped in and led the team to a 2-9 record in 11 games. The Titans' offense improved as the season went on under McCoy, but there was never much of a vocal groundswell from players to retain him full-time.
The former Chicago Bears coach and Chiefs' offensive coordinator of today is one of the hotter names this coaching cycle, earning four interviews. His familiarity with Borgonzi from the pair's shared time in Kansas City made him the early betting favorite to win the job.
Another former head coach with Borgonzi connections, Spagnuolo led the St. Louis Rams to three losing seasons more than a decade ago. His four Super Bowl wins as a coordinator make him one of the most decorated candidates, but his age and previous struggles as a head coach make him one of the weaker candidates.
Reports first surfaced connected Garrett, the long-time Dallas coach, with the Titans on Jan. 6, pegging him for an interview on Jan. 9. Garrett has been out of the NFL since 2021, working as a broadcaster for NBC Sports in the intervening time. But he owns a winning record as a head coach and only posted one losing season in nine-plus years.
The Tennessean has confirmed that the Titans and McCarthy have set up an interview for Jan. 17, giving Borgonzi and company face time with a Super Bowl winner. McCarthy was out of football in 2025, and the way things soured in Dallas is tough to ignore. But remember: McCarthy has coached more teams to the playoffs since 2005 than all Titans coaches have combined since the franchise moved to Tennessee.
Morris, who was fired as Falcons coach late on the night of Jan. 4, didn't have to wait long for another opportunity. Reports surfaced as early as Jan. 6 that the Titans and Morris had an interview on the docket for Jan. 12. A defensive-minded leader who won a Super Bowl as Rams defensive coordinator, Morris went 8-9 in back-to-back seasons in charge in Atlanta.
Stefanski's last two years in Cleveland were putrid, characterized by awful quarterback play and wasting Myles Garrett's prime years. He's also a two-time NFL Coach of the Year who took the Browns to the playoffs twice, once after the Deshaun Watson trade stripped the franchise of years worth of resources and salary cap space. The Titans will interview Stefanski on Jan. 10.
The Titans put in a request to speak to Hafley on Jan. 8. He'll be eligible to interview once the Packers have played their wild card matchup against Chicago. Prior to his time with Matt LaFleur in Green Bay, Hafley was head coach at Boston College and has spent time working for big-name coaches Greg Schiano, Urban Meyer and Kyle Shanahan.
The Titans put in a request to speak to Minter on Jan. 9. He'll be eligible to interview once the Chargers have played their wild card matchup against New England. Minter rose the coaching ranks working under John Harbaugh and Jim Harbaugh, spending time in Baltimore and at Michigan before turning around the Chargers' defense.
The Titans put in a request to speak to Saleh on Jan. 8. He'll be eligible to interview once the 49ers have played their wild card matchup against Philadelphia. Saleh coached the New York Jets from 2021-24, building top-ranked defenses in 2022 and 2023 but never finding consistency on offense.
The Titans put in a request to speak to Shula on Jan. 9. He'll be eligible to interview once the Rams have played their wild card matchup against Carolina. The grandson of Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, this Shula has been with Sean McVay since the beginning of McVay's time with the Rams, and has had his hands on every defensive position group.
The Titans put in a request to speak to Smith on Jan. 8. He'll be eligible to interview once the Steelers have played their wild card matchup against Houston. Smith's best known for his three-year stint as Falcons head coach, going 7-10 each season. His most successful coaching job, though, came as Titans offensive coordinator in 2019-20, guiding Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill to career years.
Multiple national media reports have linked Kingsbury to the Titans vacancy, but The Tennessean has been unable to confirm such reports. Reports also indicated Kingsbury is out as Commanders offensive coordinator, but no formal announcement has been made. Kingsbury was head coach of the Arizona Cardinals before his time in Washington.
The most sought-after name on the market, Harbaugh is reportedly taking a week to gather his thoughts before scheduling any interviews. Most reports indicate that every team with a coach vacancy will want to speak with the Super Bowl winner.
McDaniel was fired on Jan. 8, late in the week. No reports have directly connected him with head coaching interviews yet, but he's considered one of the league's most creative and visionary offensive minds. McDaniel will be in demand as a coordinator candidate if not head coach.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Which Titans coach candidates have been interviewed, who's on schedule?
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The Titans have interviewed, scheduled interviews with or requested interviews with at least 14 candidates thus far, as general manager Mike Borgonzi leads the search committee to find the Titans' full-time replacement for former coach Brian Callahan. Some of the candidates are household names. Others are ascendant names in the coaching community looking for their first crack at being a head honcho. And some are quasi-forgotten figures from a couple cycles back who've risen back into the spotlight.
Here's a quick refresher on the Titans' coaching search as of the morning Friday, Jan. 9.
Titans coaching search: Candidates who've completed interviews
Lou Anarumo, Indianapolis Colts DC
Anarumo was one of the first candidates the Titans reached out to, and one of the first to complete an interview. Anarumo is best known for his work in Cincinnati, coordinating the defenses during the Bengals' deep playoff runs in 2021 and 2022. He helped the Colts out to a hot start in 2025 before the season fell apart in the second half.
Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos DC
Joseph is the first of many former head coaches who've been in contact with the Titans. The architect behind Denver's top-ranked defense and pass rush in 2025, Joseph was also Denver's head coach for two seasons, achieving less-than-stellar results. But the development of Denver's front seven under Joseph's watch has vaulted him back into prominence as a candidate.
Mike McCoy, Tennessee Titans interim HC
McCoy interviewed for the job he's already filled. After the Titans fired Callahan, McCoy stepped in and led the team to a 2-9 record in 11 games. The Titans' offense improved as the season went on under McCoy, but there was never much of a vocal groundswell from players to retain him full-time.
Matt Nagy, Kansas City Chiefs OC
The former Chicago Bears coach and Chiefs' offensive coordinator of today is one of the hotter names this coaching cycle, earning four interviews. His familiarity with Borgonzi from the pair's shared time in Kansas City made him the early betting favorite to win the job.
Steve Spagnuolo, Kansas City Chiefs DC
Another former head coach with Borgonzi connections, Spagnuolo led the St. Louis Rams to three losing seasons more than a decade ago. His four Super Bowl wins as a coordinator make him one of the most decorated candidates, but his age and previous struggles as a head coach make him one of the weaker candidates.
Titans coaching search: Candidates who've scheduled interviews
Jason Garrett, former Dallas Cowboys coach
Reports first surfaced connected Garrett, the long-time Dallas coach, with the Titans on Jan. 6, pegging him for an interview on Jan. 9. Garrett has been out of the NFL since 2021, working as a broadcaster for NBC Sports in the intervening time. But he owns a winning record as a head coach and only posted one losing season in nine-plus years.
Mike McCarthy, former Dallas/Green Bay coach
The Tennessean has confirmed that the Titans and McCarthy have set up an interview for Jan. 17, giving Borgonzi and company face time with a Super Bowl winner. McCarthy was out of football in 2025, and the way things soured in Dallas is tough to ignore. But remember: McCarthy has coached more teams to the playoffs since 2005 than all Titans coaches have combined since the franchise moved to Tennessee.
Raheem Morris, former Atlanta Falcons coach
Morris, who was fired as Falcons coach late on the night of Jan. 4, didn't have to wait long for another opportunity. Reports surfaced as early as Jan. 6 that the Titans and Morris had an interview on the docket for Jan. 12. A defensive-minded leader who won a Super Bowl as Rams defensive coordinator, Morris went 8-9 in back-to-back seasons in charge in Atlanta.
Kevin Stefanski, former Cleveland Browns coach
Stefanski's last two years in Cleveland were putrid, characterized by awful quarterback play and wasting Myles Garrett's prime years. He's also a two-time NFL Coach of the Year who took the Browns to the playoffs twice, once after the Deshaun Watson trade stripped the franchise of years worth of resources and salary cap space. The Titans will interview Stefanski on Jan. 10.
Titans coaching candidates: Requested, not yet scheduled
Jeff Hafley, Green Bay Packers DC
The Titans put in a request to speak to Hafley on Jan. 8. He'll be eligible to interview once the Packers have played their wild card matchup against Chicago. Prior to his time with Matt LaFleur in Green Bay, Hafley was head coach at Boston College and has spent time working for big-name coaches Greg Schiano, Urban Meyer and Kyle Shanahan.
Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Chargers DC
The Titans put in a request to speak to Minter on Jan. 9. He'll be eligible to interview once the Chargers have played their wild card matchup against New England. Minter rose the coaching ranks working under John Harbaugh and Jim Harbaugh, spending time in Baltimore and at Michigan before turning around the Chargers' defense.
Robert Saleh, San Francisco 49ers DC
The Titans put in a request to speak to Saleh on Jan. 8. He'll be eligible to interview once the 49ers have played their wild card matchup against Philadelphia. Saleh coached the New York Jets from 2021-24, building top-ranked defenses in 2022 and 2023 but never finding consistency on offense.
Chris Shula, Los Angeles Rams DC
The Titans put in a request to speak to Shula on Jan. 9. He'll be eligible to interview once the Rams have played their wild card matchup against Carolina. The grandson of Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, this Shula has been with Sean McVay since the beginning of McVay's time with the Rams, and has had his hands on every defensive position group.
Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers OC
The Titans put in a request to speak to Smith on Jan. 8. He'll be eligible to interview once the Steelers have played their wild card matchup against Houston. Smith's best known for his three-year stint as Falcons head coach, going 7-10 each season. His most successful coaching job, though, came as Titans offensive coordinator in 2019-20, guiding Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill to career years.
Titans coaching search: The wild card candidates
Kliff Kingsbury, (former?) Washington Commanders OC
Multiple national media reports have linked Kingsbury to the Titans vacancy, but The Tennessean has been unable to confirm such reports. Reports also indicated Kingsbury is out as Commanders offensive coordinator, but no formal announcement has been made. Kingsbury was head coach of the Arizona Cardinals before his time in Washington.
John Harbaugh, former Baltimore Ravens coach
The most sought-after name on the market, Harbaugh is reportedly taking a week to gather his thoughts before scheduling any interviews. Most reports indicate that every team with a coach vacancy will want to speak with the Super Bowl winner.
Mike McDaniel, former Miami Dolphins coach
McDaniel was fired on Jan. 8, late in the week. No reports have directly connected him with head coaching interviews yet, but he's considered one of the league's most creative and visionary offensive minds. McDaniel will be in demand as a coordinator candidate if not head coach.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Which Titans coach candidates have been interviewed, who's on schedule?
Continue reading...
