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Ranking remaining Titans candidates after losing John Harbaugh sweepstakes
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- Ranking remaining Titans candidates after losing John Harbaugh sweepstakes
All indications point toward the New York Giants hiring John Harbaugh as their next head coach, taking the biggest name off the NFL coaching search market and forcing the Tennessee Titans to choose another coach from the 17 other candidates they've interviewed or requested in the last two weeks.
Harbaugh, the Super Bowl winning coach who'd piloted the Baltimore Ravens franchise for the last 18 seasons, was the winning lottery ticket in this coaching cycle , the candidate that every team with an opening would've been foolish to ignore. But he's hardly the only prize available.
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As the Titans recalibrate their search following Harbaugh's decision, here is The Tennessean's ranking of the nine coaches who still make the most sense to fill the Titans' head coaching vacancy.
9. Chris Shula, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator
Shula's star is rising in the coaching ranks. Though the Titans requested to interview him, no interview has been scheduled or conducted yet to The Tennessean's knowledge. That keeps him lower on the list, just from the practical perspective. But leaving him off the list would be disingenuous.
8. Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator
Minter has a lot going for him, not the least of which being the fact that he has already interviewed with the Titans. His connections to the John Harbaugh and Jim Harbaugh coaching tree and his similarities to Seattle coach Mike Macdonald, not to mention the Chargers' defensive successes in the last two years, make him an ascendant candidate.
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7. Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator
The Broncos' defense has been stellar the last two years, in large part due to Joseph's expertly-designed pass rush . He has experience as a head coach, albeit not particularly impressive experience. And clearly the league thinks highly of Joseph, making him one of the most interviewed candidates in the entire cycle.
6. Mike McDaniel, former Miami Dolphins coach
McDaniel might be the best pure offensive schemer on the market. If this was a competition for offensive coordinator, McDaniel would be a runaway contender. But serious questions persist about the way his Miami teams played late in seasons, so his bona fides as a CEO and leader will need to be thoroughly vetted.
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5. Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator
No candidate knows the Titans like Smith, who worked in Nashville from 2011-20. His coaching tenure in Atlanta wasn't disastrous so much as it was mediocre, and he's milked the most out of Steelers offenses the past two years that haven't been loaded with talent. As far as "culture fit" candidates, Smith might be top of the list.
4. Robert Saleh, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator
The former New York Jets coach is well known as one of the best defensive minds in football. His Jets tenure will always be defined by the inability to find a quarterback, but if the Titans belief in Cam Ward is firm, that shouldn't be an issue. As long as Saleh has a concrete plan for hiring offensive assistants, he's a strong candidate.
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3. Kevin Stefanski, former Cleveland Browns coach
Stefanski's a two-time NFL Coach of the Year who found ways to succeed in Cleveland of all places. The Browns stacked the deck against Stefanski in his later years, trading away three first-round picks for a quarterback who's barely played since the trade. Stefanski doesn't raise the Titans' floor in the same way as Smith, Saleh or the coaches in the top two spots, but he's a big swing at getting the offense to a point where it can thrive.
2. Mike McCarthy, former Dallas Cowboys coach
McCarthy's coached 10 top-five scoring offenses in 18 years as an NFL head coach. Four of those teams ranked No. 1 in scoring, including one squad as recently as 2023. It's easy to take for granted how good McCarthy's teams tend to be since the playoff success hasn't matched. But if the Titans can count on perennial playoff appearances, even if just for a short period, that's a huge win.
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1. Matt Nagy, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator
Remember, this is a ranking of candidates who make sense. From the moment the Titans fired Brian Callahan in October, Nagy always checked the most boxes . Head coaching experience. Strong leadership traits. Familiarity with a quarterback who's stylistically similar to Ward. Existing relationship with GM Mike Borgonzi. He's always made the most sense. He doesn't have the career success of McCarthy, but his career winning percentage is better than Stefanski's, Saleh's and Smith's. Don't think of him as a perfect candidate, but he's certainly a sensible one.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com . 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: No John Harbaugh, so who makes most sense now for Tennessee Titans?
