NFL Rumors: Raiders' Antonio Pierce, Cowboys' Dan Quinn, More Eyed by Titans as HC

The Tennessee Titans are casting a wide net in their head coaching search after Mike Vrabel's exit.

The Titans have requested to interview Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn for their vacant head coaching position, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, while NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce has also been asked to sit down with Tennessee brass.

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has also been requested for an interview, as has New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Additionally, Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald has been requested to interview, per Schefter.

Both Glenn and Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson are among the hottest head coaching candidates on the market this winter.

The Titans are looking for a new head coach after firing Vrabel following a 6-11 finish to the 2023 campaign. In Vrabel's six seasons at the helm, Tennessee went 55-45 and earned three playoff berths.

However, the Titans have struggled in each of the last two seasons, going 13-21 in that span and failing to secure a postseason nod.

Glenn had a lengthy NFL career as a defensive back, suiting up for the New York Jets, Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints between 1994-2008.

The 51-year-old earned three Pro Bowl selections in his career and entered coaching in 2014 as an assistant defensive backs coach for the Cleveland Browns.

Glenn also served as a defensive backs coach for the Saints between 2016-2020 before being hired as defensive coordinator of the Lions in 2021. He interviewed for the Indianapolis Colts' head coaching vacancy last year, which ended up going to Shane Steichen.

Pierce, meanwhile, was named interim head coach of the Raiders after the franchise fired Josh McDaniels following a 3-5 start to the 2023 campaign. Las Vegas went 9-16 in McDaniels' tenure.

The Raiders went 5-4 under Pierce to close out the season.

Before taking over as the interim head coach, Pierce had served as Las Vegas' linebackers coach since 2022. He also has college coaching experience, having served in a variety of roles for Arizona State.

Additionally, Pierce spent nine seasons in the NFL from 2001-2009, suiting up for the New York Giants and Washington Commanders. The former linebacker earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2006 and was a member of New York's 2008 Super Bowl-winning squad.

Quinn has been defensive coordinator of the Cowboys since 2021, leading one of the best defenses in the NFL. He also served as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2015-2020, leading the team to a 43-42 record and a Super Bowl berth in that span.

Prior to his tenure with the Falcons, Quinn served in a variety of defensive coaching roles for the Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers. He got his start in coaching as a defensive line coach for the College of William and Mary in 1994.

Kafka, a former quarterback, has been offensive coordinator of the Giants since 2022, though the New York offense struggled in 2023—even before the loss of Daniel Jones to an ACL injury.

The Giants finished the season with a 6-11 record and missed the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons.

Before joining the Giants, Kafka served in several offensive coaching roles for the Kansas City Chiefs between 2017-2021. He was the Chiefs' quarterbacks coach when the team won the Super Bowl in 2020.

Kafka got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant for Northwestern in 2016.

Macdonald has been defensive coordinator of the Ravens since 2022 and he got his start with the franchise as an intern in 2014. He has also served as a defensive assistant, defensive backs coach and linebackers coach for Baltimore.

Macdonald left the Ravens in 2021 to serve as Michigan's defensive coordinator under Jim Harbaugh before returning as Baltimore's DC in 2022.

The Ravens defense has been brilliant under Macdonald. This year, the defense allowed the fewest points per game (16.5) during the regular season and also registered the most sacks (60).

Many of the candidates the Titans appear to be considering are also drawing interest from other teams that have head coaching vacancies this winter. That said, it'll be interesting to see who Tennessee hires ahead of the 2024 campaign.