Titans' Gus Bradley is the Perfect DC Hire

In the wake of the Tennessee Titans hiring Robert Saleh, the new head coach wasted no time in filling the newly-open seats around him on the team's staff. Yet, after some positions were retained, and others freshened up, one stayed unusually empty as the time came for Saleh's coaches to report.

Defensive coordinator, for Tennessee at least, is slightly less paramount due to Saleh making the literal call to call the plays on that side of the ball himself. Still, with other HC duties inevitably weighing in, similar experience as had been prioritized in other positions was expected to slot in there regardless.

And, after a period of semi-worrying silence, Saleh and the front office came through once more with the hiring of Gus Bradley. The now-DC has not only worked with Saleh directly in the past, but has long been a mainstay at the position in the NFL.

A Staff Built on Experience

"The Titans' coaching staff is extremely strong and has a ton of experience," said NFL Insider Jordan Schultz on X (Twitter), to the tune of more then 1,000 likes and a heap of replies from growingly supportive (and excited) Tennessee fans.

Bradley, joining the aforementioned Saleh, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and special teams coordinator John "Bones" Fassel, rounds out one of the most comprehensive staff overhauls of the entire cycle.

The #Titans’ coaching staff is extremely strong and has a ton of experience:

🔹HC: Robert Saleh
🔹OC: Brian Daboll
🔹DC: Gus Bradley
🔹STC: John “Bones” Fassel https://t.co/Yh1vppZlPH
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) February 2, 2026

Plenty of teams secured a new lead man, but few of those guys were able to turn around and completely rebuild their secondary staff in the little time that followed. Robert Saleh did just that, and the Titans appear better than ever moving forward because of it.

Moving Into a Brighter Future

The Titans, following the ever-dreaded firing of Mike Vrabel just two seasons ago, had yet to cover due to the continuous struggles of his replacement. Brian Callahan - though it wasn't entirely his fault - had the franchise in a historically bad spot following a firing that was already questionable.

New Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh | DENNY SIMMONS / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Yet, now, fans can finally attempt to move on from that short-lived era of football that, inversely, felt eternal. Of course, Saleh still has to prove his vision will translate to success on the field, but the staff he's put together is a more than promising sign already.

With a high draft pick and plenty of funds for moves in free agency remaining, all that's left to do for Saleh and the front office is to execute.

Bradley's hire at DC may be the end of Tennessee's big-name staff signings, but it's only the beginning of what the now-assembled staff is gearing up to accomplish.

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