As the Tennessee Titans coaching search is now officially in week two (or week 14, if you count from the day they fired Brian Callahan), the main point in the whole process has been how wide a net that general manager Mike Borgonzi has cast in searching for his guy.
Most people expect Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who is a close friend of Borgonzi’s from their time together in Kansas City, to be the front-runner to land the Titans’ head coaching position.
Nagy has already had his first interview, along with a number of other candidates, but the fact that the search has expanded far enough to even include former Cowboys coach/current NBC analyst Jason Garrett shows Borgonzi is doing his due diligence.
Of course, former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh should be at the top of every team’s wish list. Harbaugh, it has been reported, will begin interviewing this week, and it will be interesting to see if the Titans can at least lure him to St. Thomas Sports Park to try to sell the Titans’ opportunity to him.
The pieces in place
So, what selling points do the Titans have for prospective coaches? There is Jeffery Simmons, who was named All-Pro at defensive tackle this year and continues to be a one-man wrecking crew along the defensive front. Simmons is currently the face of the franchise.
There is possibly Cam Ward, whom the Titans hope will soon be the face of the team. It’s always a good idea for the quarterback, especially one taken first overall, to be prominent. And while Ward had his struggles, his play down the stretch should help in the head coaching search.
The Titans also could have a league-leading $120 million in salary cap space with which to lure free agents, a home in a state with no income tax and a new indoor stadium opening in 2027.
However the biggest attraction point the Titans might have in their corner is Borgonzi, who seems to have the no-nonsense approach to building a roster that should please any head coaching candidate.
Borgonzi will still have to prove himself with this coaching hire and replenishing the roster with another good draft class and a better foray into free agency than his predecessor Ran Carthon. But the early returns are encouraging and will be even more so if Ward pans out near the top of his draft class.
Clarifying GM’s role
Borgonzi’s ascent to the top of the Titans front office hierarchy should alleviate any confusion as to who’s in charge of the roster between him and president of football operations Chad Brinker. That clarity, too, can be a selling point in this coach hiring process.
Borgonzi is set up for success with the cap space, the fourth pick in the draft and a young roster. While it still has many holes to fill, at least has a handful of pieces are in place.
The question now becomes how well Borgonzi can sell himself and his vision to the coaching candidates and then select the coach who best shares that vision with him moving forward.