The Tennessee Titans are the final NFL club without a coach, but that could change on Saturday.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport told NFL Network's GameDay First that it's Mike Mularkey's job "to lose." The interim coach who replaced Ken Whisenhunt in November is "expected to be their permanent head coach again," and it "could be today" when the Titans make that official.
Tennessee also interviewed Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and former Bills coach Doug Marrone, but Mularkey "has been given every indication that he is getting the job," Rapoport was told, adding: "From what I understand, the plan is to give him a short-term extension, give him a year to prove that he is a head coach and potentially open things up either next year or the year after."
With new general manager Jon Robinson in place, we couldn't help but wonder if the former Patriots executive would ask to interview New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, but Tennessee appears to have its man.
It was just last week that Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk wrote in a statement that "we share our fans' frustration about the team's recent performance, and we are committed to doing everything we can to return our team to a perennial postseason contender."
Selling Mularkey to this fan base will only trigger more of that "frustration," especially when the presence of quarterback Marcus Mariota generated plenty of interest in the job. It's one of the offseason's bigger surprises to see the Titans stay inside the building for a hire they've been planning since before Thanksgiving.
