Titans GM Has Goal for Head Coach Hire

Like a number of other "lost their way" NFL teams entering the 2026 offseason, the Tennessee Titans are in search of a new head coach. After firing previous suitor Brian Callahan less than halfway into his second season at the helm, the franchise, reeling from their second three-win campaign in a row, is in desperate need of a long-term fix in their next choice.

While the front office is hard at work scheduling candidate upon candidate - and players speak and respond accordingly - general manager Mike Borgonzi has spent a large amount of time on the local airwaves, reassuring fans and openly detailing the process that goes into choosing a new man for the currently empty headset.

Among much else, Borgonzi is honing in on the aspect of leadership in his ideal candidate. Whoever he and the rest of the decision-makers involved end up bringing in will have to be a tried and true football figurehead.

Looking for a Leader

"Leadership is what we're looking for here," said Borgonzi, outlining his sleepless search for the Titans' impending new captain. "We've done a lot of work - a lot of calls on these candidates - it's going to be one of the most important decisions we make here... the leader of this team."

"We need a leader in here that can build a culture, have a vision, that brings standards to the table and can hold people accountable"

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— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) January 8, 2026

"Really, the guy that really connects the building," Borgonzi continued. "We really don't care, one side of the ball or the other. We need a leader in here that can build a culture, that can have a vision, that brings standards to the table."

"And then he can hold people accountable, and that's what we're looking for here."

The Titans' Tough Love

The term "leader" can be defined a million and one different ways, but according to Borgonzi, it's clearly someone who isn't afraid to utilize a little tough love when it comes to coaching a football team.

That, taken with Cam Ward's declaration that he and the roster want a coach who takes a primary interest in his players, means Tennessee already has a relatively refined vision of the sort of guy they want to hire.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) looks for a receiver during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Now, it's just a matter of finding that guy within the seemingly endless droves of candidates who have put their names on the market. One thing that is certain regardless is that, given their young talent and league-high cap space, the Titans are among the most attractive jobs in the league.

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