On Tuesday, the Tennessee Titans announced that they had fired head coach Ken Whisenhunt after 1.5 bumpy seasons in which the team went 3-20. Whisenhunt was previously fired by the Cardinals in 2012 after going 45-51 over a six-year stretch.
Ken Whisenhunt’s firing made Matt Leinart very happy
The former Cardinals QB apparently wasn’t a fan of his former head coach.
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
Whisenhunt did lead Arizona to the playoffs twice and to the Super Bowl in 2008, but he failed to have a winning season in his final three years there.
Whisenhunt was also responsible for the benching of former Heisman Trophy winner and 2006 first-round pick Matt Leinart, who was selected by the Cardinals the year before Whisenhunt was hired.
Clearly, Leinart has yet to get over that decision.
Titans coach fired. Now Marcus Mariota has a chance!
— Matt Leinart (@MattLeinartQB) November 3, 2015 Karma
— Matt Leinart (@MattLeinartQB) November 3, 2015 Leinart, who is now out of the league and serving as a college football announcer for FOX, started 11 games for the Cardinals during his rookie season. He was 4-7 that year, and completed just 57 percent of his passes while throwing more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (11).
Leinart opened as the team's starter in Whisenhunt's first game at the helm, but three games in was benched in favor of former MVP and Super Bowl winner Kurt Warner, whom Leinart had replaced the year before. Leinart wound up starting five games that year before a fractured left collarbone ended his season. Leinart started just one game for Arizona over the next two years, before signing with the Houston Texans.
Whisenhunt apparently had a much better relationship with Warner.
I love lots of things about #NFL but 1 thing I hate is lack of patience 4 players and coaches - judging them not always on just their perf!
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) November 3, 2015 After being fired by the Cardinals, Whisenhunt spent one year as the Chargers' offensive coordinator before being hired by the Titans.
Despite going 1-6 this season, many Titans players took to Twitter to express disappointment about Whisenhunt being fired.
For anyone who wants to kno, no i am NOT happy with wiz gone, he was a good coach, he wznt the prob and we all know it!! #frustrating
— Perrish Cox (@pcox16) November 3, 2015 My day starting in the clouds...listening to hoizer #tuesday https://t.co/DMY9AhTuSL pic.twitter.com/qjTyY6dStR
— Delanie walker (@delaniewalker82) November 3, 2015 Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard felt similarly.
“I’m very surprised,” he told ESPN’s Josina Anderson. “I felt ‘Wiz’ had a good relationship with the players and he kept all of us working hard to try and turn things around here.”
Titans cornerback Jason McCourty said he was surprised to hear the news.
“It’s always a form of a surprise, but obviously we haven’t been as successful as you would like over the past season and a half,” McCourty said, via the Tennessean. “So, you know there’s a chance change can come. From that aspect, it’s not a total surprise.”
The Titans are coming off a 20-6 loss to the 3-5 Texans on Sunday. This week they'll take on the Saints in New Orleans. Assistant head coach/tight ends coach Mike Mularkey will be the team's interim head coach for the rest of the season.
See More:
