Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel looks on during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 21, 2025 | (Photo Credit/Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

It is that time of year again, and the Titans are interviewing coaches around the league for their head coach position.  

After previous head coach Brian Callahan failed to turn things around for the Titans, they now look toward a new era with 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward at the helm. 

This list will be ranked in order of how realistic these hires are, with my opinion on the coach to follow. There might be coaches I would prefer over others lower on the list just because all signs point to them signing with other teams, or the Titans might not be as interested. 

The Titans have said they are looking for a leader in their new head coach who can work with rookie quarterback Cam Ward and help him reach his potential.

1) Matt Nagy, Offensive Coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs

You simply can not ignore the smoke when it comes to Nagy’s odds at the job. He has been the odds-on favorite since the position came open, and that hasn’t changed.  

Nagy has spent the last two seasons rehabbing his reputation on the Chiefs as he recovers from a four-season stint with the Chicago Bears in which he went 34-31. Nagy started off hot in Chicago with a 12-4 season and a coach of the year honors. However, that’d be the peak of Nagy’s reign for the Bears as they would go 8-8 in back-to-back seasons and then 6-11 in Nagy’s final season in 2021.  

He had since returned to Kansas City where he has been the offensive coordinator ever since. 

Now, why is he the most likely to get the job? 

Connections. 

In 2025, the Titans hired former Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi to run their franchise. Both Borgonzi and Nagy had been together with the Chiefs since 2012 as both grew within the organization. Borgonzi from pro scout to assistant GM and Nagy from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. 

In Chicago, Nagy’s offense went downhill year-after-year. In 2018, when the team went 12-4, the Bears identity wasn’t its offense. Instead, they were led by a dominant defense led by Vic Fangio and Khalil Mack. Fangio would win Assistant Coach of the Year that season with the defense being first in scoring and leading the NFL in turnovers. 

In a recent interview, Nagy says he took on too much as head coach for the Bears instead of relying on his staff. Something he plans to change at his next stop. Even saying he would not call the offense next time he’s head coach.  

“I needed to have more trust. I needed to be able to let them (staff) do and empower them and let them do what they’re great at,” Nagy said in an interview with CBS Sports.  

Pros: Experience as a head coach, offensive minded, experience mentoring a similar QB to Cam Ward (Ward isn’t on Mahomes’ level but playstyle is similar) 

Cons: Leadership skills led to downfall in Chicago; offense has aged poorly (Chiefs offense was 19th in yards per game and 21st in points per game in 2025); lack of promising staff choices 

POTENTIAL STAFF:

Offensive Coordinator

-Charles London | Jets quarterback coach  

-Mike Kafka | Giants offensive coordinator/interim head coach  

-Bill Lazor | Texans senior offensive assistant  

Defensive Coordinator

-Chuck Pagano | Ravens senior defensive assistant 

-Sean Desai | Bengals senior defensive assistant 

-Dave Merritt | Chiefs defensive backs coach 

-Steve Spagnuolo | Chiefs defensive coordinator 

2) Mike McDaniel, Former Head Coach, Miami Dolphins

After recently being fired by the Miami Dolphins, McDaniel continues to be mentioned for the Titans head coaching job. McDaniel has the same number of interviews as Nagy so far into the process with four each. 

McDaniel caught himself between a rock and a hard place this season. Between a lame duck general manager Chris Grier—who was fired mid-season—and a below average quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa who was likely on his way out, the Dolphins head coach was doomed from the start. 

Initially, it seemed as if the Dolphins might retain McDaniel. Besides, he finished the season well. Going 6-4 in his final ten games despite having to start Quinn Ewers in the final three games of the season. However, after the hire of new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, the Dolphins moved on from McDaniel and a sudden late firing.  

McDaniel has been a premier offensive mind in the NFL since the Dolphins hired him in 2022. Leading the Dolphins to two top-10 offensive seasons in his first two years—including being the No. 1 offense in the league in 2023. 

McDaniel would be the offensive mind most fans would like to pair with Cam Ward and comes with a long list of offensive and defensive coordinators to bring with him.  

POTENTIAL STAFF 

Offensive Coordinator

-Frank Smith | Dolphins offensive coordinator  

-Jon Embree | Dolphins assistant head coach and tight ends coach  

-Bobby Slowik | Dolphins senior passing game coordinator  

-Wes Welker | Commanders personnel analyst  

Defensive Coordinator 

-Anthony Weaver | Dolphins defensive coordinator  

-Cory Undlin | Texans defensive passing game coordinator  

-Daniel Bullocks | 49ers safeties coach  

-Tem Lukabu | Jaguars linebackers coach 2025-2026  

3) Chris Shula, Defensive Coordinator, Los Angeles Rams

Shula is the first non-retread of this list and will be the only one. Shula is for those proponents of the youth movement, and I can not blame them.  

Shula has led an elite Rams defense this season and can claim most of the success. Head coach Sean McVay runs the offense and calls the plays, leaving the entire defense to Shula. It is his job to lead, develop and organize the defense—giving him plenty of experience leading a room.  

Shula led a top 10 defense in the NFL in scoring in his second season as defensive coordinator for the Rams with a very limited talent pool. The Rams defense consisted of one first round pick by the team and two if you included Emmanuel Forbes, who was cut by his original team. 

At just 39, Shula is the youngest on this entire list and would be a good injection of youth into the building. 

POTENTIAL STAFF 

Offensive Coordinator

-Zac Robinson | Falcons offensive coordinator  

-Nate Scheelhaase | Rams pass game coordinator 

-Dave Ragone | Rams quarterback coach 

-Thomas Brown | Patriots pass game coordinator 

Defensive Coordinator  

-Aubrey Pleasant | Rams assistant head coach 

-Giff Smith | Rams defensive line coach 

-Eric Henderson | USC defensive coordinator 

-Jimmy Lake | Rams senior defensive assistant 

4) Mike McCarthy, Former Head Coach, Dallas Cowboys

McCarthy’s name was being mentioned before Brian Callahan was even out of his office in Tennessee. The former Packers and Cowboys head coach has been out of the league for one season after being fired by the Cowboys in 2025. 

McCarthy’s record as a coach is nearly flawless when you look at it. 

174-112 record as a coach 

Superbowl win 

11-11 playoff record 

It’s hard to ignore McCarthy as an option for the Titans. 

His offenses are almost always near the top of the league, and he never seems to have a bad quarterback—granted it’s probably hard to make Aaron Rodgers look bad. 

He’s not the next coming of Lombardi, but he’s your best bet to have a good offense and a culture that knows how to win in the coming season.  

POTENTIAL STAFF 

Offensive coordinator 

-Scott Tolzien | Saints quarterbacks coach 

-Joe Philbin | Raiders senior offensive assistant 

-Doug Nussmeier | Saints offensive coordinator 

-Chase Haslett | Saints tight end coach 

Defensive Coordinator  

-Mike Nolan | Michigan Panthers head coach (UFL) 

-George Edwards | Buccaneers defensive pass game coordinator 

-Al Harris | Bears defensive backs coach 

-Joe Whitt | former Commanders defensive coordinator 

5) Robert Saleh, Defensive Coordinator, San Francisco 49ers

Saleh is another recently fired head coach that shows promise on a certain side of the ball. Saleh and the aforementioned Mike McDaniel were on the same 49ers coaching staff in 2020 and got head coaching jobs just a season apart.  

Saleh provides the inverse value of McDaniel. A great defensive mind that can ensure a quality defense for the Titans, but he’ll need a good offensive mind to follow suit.  

As head coach for the New York Jets, Saleh led the team to three top five finishes in total defense from 2022-2024 and finished with a 20-36 record over his four seasons at the helm. 

Saleh brings a much larger voice to the locker room than most of the coaches on this list. Whether that’s a good voice? I don’t know. 

Saleh’s teams in New York were tough and defensively focused but left much to be desired on the offensive side of the ball—despite a large quantity of offensive coordinator connections from the 49ers. 

It’d be interesting if Saleh learns from his time with the Jets and brings in an entirely new offense with whichever team takes their next swing on him. 

POTENTIAL STAFF 

Offensive Coordinator 

-Bobby Slowik | Dolphins senior pass game coordinator 

-Klay Kubiak | 49ers offensive coordinator 

-Brian Fleury | 49ers tight ends coach 

-Adam Stenavich | Packers offensive coordinator 

Defensive Coordinator 

-Jeff Ulbrich | Falcons defensive coordinator 

-Tony Oden | Titans cornerbacks coach 

-Marquand Manuel | Giants defensive backs coach 

-Tem Lukabu | Jaguars linebackers coach