Tennessee Titans Retain Head Coach Mike Munchak

Despite finishing the regular season third in the AFC South with a 6-10 record, the Tennessee Titans will bring back head coach Mike Munchak for his third season, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean:

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#Titans owner Bud Adams just informed Mike Munchak he will be back with the team in 2013

— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) December 31, 2012"

Munchak took over the Titans following the 2010-11 season when the team finished 6-10 and fired longtime head coach Jeff Fisher. He led the team to a surprising 9-7 record in 2011, missing out on the playoffs because of a tiebreaker. 

Expectations were raised for the Titans coming into the 2012 season, though they weren't exactly expected to compete with the elite teams in the AFC. They were thought of as a potential sleeper because of their success the previous year. 

Things never materialized for the Titans. The team got off to a 1-4 start with blowout losses against New England, San Diego, Houston and Minnesota. Any hope they had of turning into a contender evaporated with that start. 

Despite the setback this season, there were some positive signs to take away from the Titans in 2012. Chris Johnson, while not nearly as consistent as he was when he ran for over 2,000 yards, had a nice bounce-back campaign with over 1,200 yards and six touchdowns. 

Wide receiver Nate Washington was very good when the quarterbacks were able to get him the ball. He finished the year averaging 16.2 yards per reception, easily the best on the team. 

Second-year linebacker Akeem Ayers had a solid season, recording six sacks and 103 total tackles for a defense that still needs to add a lot of talent to compete with the best the AFC South has to offer. 

Finding a quarterback, be it Jake Locker or someone else, will be critical for Munchak moving forward. The Titans have shown good faith by giving him another year on a day when so many of his peers are getting the boot. He has to show some progress to make it worth it. 

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