Titans Finishing First Round of HC Interviews

The Tennessee Titans have, among every team in the currently overcrowded head coaching search, been in the race the longest. After firing previous captain Brian Callahan less than halfway into his second season in that role, Tennessee spent the majority of the 2025-26 campaign under interim solution, and former offensive assistant, Mike McCoy.

McCoy, for the position he was thrust into, did a fair job. With a band of rookies and little to no team cohesion to begin with, McCoy's Titans eventually secured two wins under the temporary regime by the end of the year. To boot, McCoy oversaw the jet-fueled rise of rookie quarterback Cam Ward. It wasn't a good season overall, but McCoy did about as much as could've asked of him.

Now, though, in search of a more permanent option, the Titans have cast perhaps the widest need of interviewees in the NFL. After front-office favorite John Harbaugh canceled on Tennessee just hours before deciding to join the New York Giants, the Titans were forced to pivot. Closing off their first round of interviews, the franchise is turning a corner as modern history is made in the process.

Onto the Second Round

According to Senior NFL Insider Dianna Russini, "The Tennessee Titans are set to wrap up their first round of head coaching interviews this weekend, with Robert Saleh scheduled as the final candidate."

Saleh, having long been rumored to be a possibility for the Titans' job opening, sensibly slots in as the team's final choice prior to a round of refinement and, as more names are sure to soon fly off the board, a potential hire.

The Tennessee Titans are set to wrap up their first round of head coaching interviews this weekend, with Robert Saleh scheduled as the final candidate.

The team will begin its second round of interviews starting Monday.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 15, 2026

"The team will begin its second round of interviews starting Monday," Russini clarified, allowing Tennessee the weekend to regroup prior to a more crucial round of decisions being made.

Sep 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh walks off of the field after the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Choosing a Candidate

Saleh, although defensively-minded, has reinvigorated his career as the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, following an underwhelming run as the head-man for the New York Jets. Though, if Saleh isn't the go, Tennessee still has a vast array of candidates - some promising, others worrying - that give the front office options as they look to whittle down their choices in good time.

With the likes of Mike McDaniel, Kevin Stefanski and others having already flown in for a visit, Harbaugh dropping out hasn't meant a missed step for the Titans.

A hire is coming soon, and the second round of interviews represents a massive step towards that impending, climacteric reality.

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