Titans Coaching Staff Brings Right Experience to the Table

While many view a coaching staff as being less important than the players, think again. Let the Tennessee Titans be a source of reference.

From top to bottom, each and every piece has come together to make the Titans one of the NFL’s growing franchises. Let’s start at the top of the coaching tree.

The biggest mistake that the Denver Broncos made was letting Mike Shanahan go. One of the longest serving NFL coaches out there, Shanahan led the Broncos to two Super Bowls in 1998 and 1999. It didn’t happen in his first year. It was that longevity that helped to build a successful organization for many years. 

Jeff Fisher is the exact same way. His stint goes from 1994 to the present and he has coaches the Houston Oilers to Tennessee Oilers to current Tennessee Titans.

While change can be good, that longevity has helped the Titans reach the Super Bowl once and they are certainly poised to go back to the big game in the near future.

Tangled in the Shanahan web is Mike Heimerdinger, the Tennessee offensive coordinator.

Heimdinger was with the Broncos during their two Super Bowl victories. His first stint with the Titans was from 2000-04. Tennessee remained dominant on offense during those years, but after leaving the team, Tennessee failed to see results offensively. During that stretch, the team went 4-12 and 8-8, but did have a breakout year in 2007 with a 10-6 record.

Heimdinger’s return last year saw the resurgence of veteran Kerry Collins, as well as the development of a smooth passing offense and vaunted running attack of Chris Johnson and LenDale White. It’s clear to see that the Titans missed Heimdinger and his offensive knowledge.

Two newcomers to the coaching staff this year are important ones. Chuck Cecil replaces Jim Schwartz, who left for the Detroit Lions, as defensive coordinator.

Cecil is known for his work with the defensive backs, but his main focus will be fixing a defensive line missing Albert Haynesworth. He helped make Cortland Finnegan and Michael Griffin look impressive. Titan fans can only hope he’ll do the same and retool the defensive front four.

Earnest Byner also replaces Sherman Smith as running backs coach. Smith is now the defensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins, the same team Byner left to join Tennessee.

Byner had tremendous success with Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts in Washington; the two combined for 5,386 rushing yards during his tenure. Tennessee can only hope he replicates similar success with their two running backs—Chris Johnson and LenDale White.

Other very important names this season will be Fred Graves, the wide receivers coach, and Jim Washburn, the defensive line coach.

The young Graves helped to build Tennessee’s unknown receiving corps into one of the most solid and consistent groups in the league. Now he’ll have new talent in Nate Washington and Kenny Britt to help him continue his development and resurgence.

Washburn has the task of working with defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil in making a plan for restructuring the defensive line. Adding Jovan Haye and Sen’Derrick Marks should help give them plenty of ideas moving forward.

The coming months should see these men, plus others I haven’t mentioned, come together to create a plan that will help the Titans either succeed in the AFC South or find trouble after an unbelievable season.