Jerry Gray Hired As Titans’ Defensive Coordinator

The Tennessee Titans have a lot of spots to fill on new coach Mike Munchak’s staff, and they will be filling one with a respected coach from the college ranks. ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms that Texas defensive backs coach Jerry Gray will become the next Titans defensive coordinator.

Gray to Tennessee was first reported by Orangebloods and Titan Insider — College Football Talk cited both in reporting that Gray had accepted an offer — and follows reports that Gray was in Nashville and interviewing for the position on Friday.

Tennessee still has several spots on its coaching staff left to fill. How are they going to find enough coaches with quarter-centuries worth of experience in the franchise to stock the rest of the open positions?

The Tennessee Titans coaching staff has seen quite an overhaul this offseason. The latest is the news that offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger has been fired. This comes one day after Mike Munchak was announced as the Titans new head coach.

The Titans are expected to bring in a new quarterback at some point this offseason so the next offensive coordinator will be an important one. Vince Young will not remain with the team, Munchak confirmed on Monday as his introductory press conference.

Munchak is the second-ever coach in the history of the Titans. Jeff Fisher had coached the franchise since before it moved to Nashville from Houston. He’s been with the organization for almost three decades as a Hall of Fame player, personnel man, and position coach.

Munchak:

The Tennessee Titans have their new coach. The team announced via press release Mike Munchak is the new coach following Jeff Fisher, who left the organization last week. Owner Bud Adams said in the announcement:

This is the move many expected the Titans to make after they surprisingly parted ways with Fisher, who was the Titans head coach since 1994. Munchak has served as an assistant under Fisher for the last 14 years. Munchak played for the Oilers for 11 years along side Bruce Matthews creating one of the best offensive line tandems in NFL history so Titans fans -- actually, Oilers fans -- remember his time with the team.

Jeff Fisher and the Tennessee Titans conducted a conference call officially announcing Fisher was leaving the organization. Included in the call, among others, were Fisher and owner Bud Adams, who phoned in.

Fisher said all good things must come to an end and expressed gratitude for the 17 years in Tennessee. He said he’s at peace with the decision and declined to comment on specifics when asked about his departure. Adams said the departure wasn’t personal.

After news broke that Jeff Fisher was leaving the Tennessee Titans as head coach, the speculation on his next stop began. An early suggestion was the defensive coordinator position with the Philadelphia Eagles. At first glance, the move made sense because the Eagles had a need.

But that move is “highly unlikely” -- this according to Fisher’s agent.

It sounds like the decision for Jeff Fisher and the Tennessee Titans to part ways isn’t coming because of just one incident or move. It’s a combination of things and one of those may be that Fisher reportedly tried to hire his son onto the coaching staff which goes against owner Bud Adams rules on nepotism.

We’re not sure how this fits into the overall picture but it appears this had at least something to do with Fisher’s exit. SB Nation’s Music City Miracles reminds readers of the last case of nepotism in Tennessee.

The least messy aspect of Jeff Fisher’s mutual separation from the Tennessee Titans may just be the buyout agreed upon by the two parties. Fisher had a year left on his contract and was told he’d be returning for the 2011 season earlier in the month, only to see the Titans reverse course and decided it was time for a change after 17 years together.

With every NFL head coaching job already filled, Fisher was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Because he still had a year left on his contract, however, he was entitled to money, though it’s unlikely he’ll get the full $6 million he was owed. According to the Tennessean’s Jim Wyatt, the $8 million dollar figure floated earlier in the day was false, and that the buyout was half that, if not less.

Were you shocked when you heard the Tennessee Titans and head coach Jeff Fisher were parting ways? I know I was and, according to SB Nation’s Music City Miracles, Titans players were, too. MCM talked with Titans DE Jason Babin shortly following the announcement from the Titans.

Shock would be the right word considering Titans owner Bud Adams said at the beginning of this month that Fisher would return. SB Nation’s Music City Miracles blogger Jimmy goes on to write that Babin really knew nothing.

And Fisher has shared a statement of his own:

For more on this story, check Music City Miracles.

The Tennesseean’s Jeff Wyatt reports Mike Munchak, Titans offensive line coach, could become the second-ever Titans head coach, based on “early indications,” of course.

Munchak was a Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman who played his entire 12-year career for the Houston Oilers, and has been a Titans coach since 1997. He even worked in the front office for a few years before coming on as a head coach. So he’s one of the only coaches or players in football whose time with the franchise actually dwarfs Fisher’s, as amazing as that is.

For more on Young and the Titans, visit Music City Miracles.

Titans owner Bud Adams has shared his thoughts on the matter with The Tennesseean’s Jeff Wyatt, though they are not illuminating:

Until today, Fisher was the NFL’s longest-tenured head coach. He also took the team to its only Super Bowl. His mustache supplants Dave Wannstedt’s as the finest football mustache to find itself out of a job this offseason.

Adams wanted to have both Young and Fisher, but eventually decided to stick with Fisher. Perhaps the logic was that an off-and-on young quarterback can be replaced more seamlessly than a nearly two-decade head coach can.

So if Fisher is no longer around, does that re-open the door for Young to remain in Tennessee? There have yet to be any reports of teams making a move at the former Texas Longhorns star, even though Young insists he’s still an elite quarterback.

Fisher was criticized for his handling of Cecil’s exit, but it was clear a change needed to be made. It wasn’t the removal of Cecil from the position that brought scorn, but the timing of the move. Again, it’s not likely that decision was the one that brought about this one, but it’s certainly a piece of the story one way or another.

I would say it’s been a tumultuous offseason for the Titans, but the trouble started well before games were finished being played. A feud between Fisher and QB Vince Young became a major distraction, resulting in a confusing network of him-or-me ultimatums between Fisher and owner Bud Adams. The owner announced his plans to trade away or release Young, signaling to many an intent to keep Fisher.

Then the Titans let go of defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil just last week, proving the storm had not quite yet blown over.

The fiery coach will be best remembered for a number of incidents that reflected the same personality he played with, most notably his middle finger moment that a player called “awesome.” He was fined $40,000 for the salute.

The 2011 season will be Fisher’s 15th with the Titans, extending the longest active head coaching tenure in the NFL. He has led the Titans to several playoff appearances and their only Super Bowl appearance, but the last two years have been disappointing. Fisher’s Titans barely managed to finish at 8-8 after a dreadful start, and animosity between Fisher and quarterback Vince Young led to Young’s departure and contributed to a 6-10 record in 2010.

For more on Jeff Fisher and the Titans, check out SB Nation’s Titans blog, Music City Miracles.