Report: Mike Vrabel Didn't Want Exit; Titans Eye Texans OC Slowik, Dolphins OC Smith

The parting of ways between the Tennessee Titans and head coach Mike Vrabel on Tuesday was reportedly not a mutual decision.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Vrabel "didn't want out" and was willing to try to turn things around next season, but owner owner Amy Adams Strunk and her advisers chose to move on after back-to-back years outside the playoffs.

Fowler added that Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith are both on the Titans' radar as potential replacements for Vrabel.

During their six-year run under Vrabel, the Titans went 54-45 with three straight playoff appearances from 2019 to 2021. Tennessee reached the AFC Championship Game in 2019, and Vrabel was named NFL Coach of the Year in 2021 when Tennessee went 12-5.

The last two seasons were a struggle, though, as the Titans collapsed after a 7-3 start in 2022, losing their last seven games to finish 7-10 and miss the playoffs.

Things weren't any better in 2023 with Tennessee going 6-11, which was the team's worst record during the Vrabel era.

Still, Vrabel deserves credit for enjoying a great deal of success in Tennessee despite never having much more than league-average quarterback play from the likes of Marcus Mariota, Ryan Tannehill, Will Levis and others over the years.

Offense was a huge issue for the Titans over the past two seasons, though, as they finished 28th in scoring in 2022 with 17.5 points per game and 27th in scoring this season with 17.9 points per contest.

That could explain why the Titans are reportedly interested in offensive coaches such as Slowik and Smith, as there may be some thought that one of them can get the most out of Levis or whichever quarterback Tennessee decides to go with in 2024.

Before becoming the Texans' OC this season, Slowik was part of the San Francisco 49ers' staff under head coach Kyle Shanahan from 2019 to 2022. Titans general manager Ran Carthon was in the Niners' front office from 2017 to 2022 as well.

In his first season as a play-caller, the 36-year-old Slowik shattered expectations by helping the Texans rank 13th in the NFL with 22.2 points per game, which was enough to earn them a 10-7 record and the AFC South crown one season after going 3-13-1.

Most impressively, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud looked like a seasoned veteran under Slowik, completing 63.9 percent of his passes for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

Head coach Mike McDaniel is the offensive play-caller in Miami, but Smith is his righthand man and has gotten to learn from another Shanahan disciple in McDaniel, who was the 49ers' OC in 2021.

McDaniel and Smith guided the NFL's No. 2 scoring offense this season with 29.2 points per game, getting career years out of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, running back Raheem Mostert and wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

A defensive coach like Vrabel helped the Titans win games despite their offensive shortcomings, but it is possible Slowik or Smith could make their offense a strength.