Mike Munchak's loyalty to the Tennessee Titans was plain to see at the top of his bio. After 32 years with the same organization, his loyalty ultimately cost him his job.
The Titans announced Saturday that Munchak was fired after three seasons as head coach. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Munchak's unwillingness to make changes to his staff, including a promotion of defensive assistant Gregg Williams and the firing of offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains. The organization was unhappy with the direction of Loggains' pass-happy attack.
The Saturday firing ends a roller coaster week for Munchak. Perhaps it is best for everyone that the organization makes a fresh start under new CEO Tommy Smith, who took over after the passing of Bud Adams. It would have made no sense for Munchak to remain in place with an offensive system that he didn't believe in.
Perhaps more than any team in the league, the Titans need an identity. They have some defensive talent in defensive tackle Jurrell Casey and a fine cornerback pair, but the whole group did not add up to the sum of their parts. It is strange to hear that the organization wanted the Titans to run the ball more, because Chris Johnson has been an overpaid and overrated back for a long time. Giving him more carries hardly sounds like solution for the Titans' ills. If anything, the Titans stayed loyal to Johnson for too long.
The Titans' next coach will also have a difficult choice to make with Jake Locker. The quarterback showed promise in 2013, but he can't stay healthy. Rapoport previously reported that the Titans don't plan to pick up the team's $13 million option on Locker for 2015. Johnson's future is cloudy, with NFL Media columnist Mike Silver previously reporting Johnson is not expected to be back. Johnson has said he will not take a pay cut to stay in town.
General manager Ruston Webster is still in place, but this is an organization that is starting from scratch. The team's next coach will require a clear vision on how to turn this roster around, because it has been floundering around .500 for five consecutive seasons, without a calling card on either side of the ball.
The Titans look like more of a rebuilding project than many of the jobs that came open this offseason.
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