Coach Jeff Fisher and the Tennessee Titans are parting ways after 16 seasons.
The team released a one-sentence statement confirming a report on Sports Illustrated’s website: “The Tennessee Titans and Jeff Fisher have agreed to part ways and Fisher will no longer be the head coach of the team.”
There are indications Mike Munchak, who has been Titans offensive line coach for the past 14 seasons, could be the replacement on an interim or full-time basis.
Fisher was the icon of the franchise, a constant from its final two seasons in Houston to the past 14 in Nashville.
Although Titans owner Bud Adams opted not to extend Fisher's contract after a 6-10 finish to the 2010 season, on Jan. 7 the owner announced his intention to keep the coach for the final year of the deal he signed in 2007.
Fisher even spent the past few days searching for new coaches after staffing moves that included the firing of defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil.
Things changed Thursday, however.
There are indications Fisher felt the deck was stacked against him as a lame-duck coach coming off a losing season. The front office, meanwhile, was frustrated with Fisher’s pace in replacing Cecil and defensive line coach Jim Washburn, who left to take a job with the Eagles.
So the team and coach decided to part ways, with Fisher receiving a buyout reported to be as much as $8 million but is believed to be lower. Fisher was to make $6.5 million in the final year of his contract.
Later Thursday the Titans announced a press conference for 11 a.m. Friday and released a longer statement:
"We will be forever appreciative of Jeff Fisher’s leadership and accomplishments through his time with our franchise. We reached some of our greatest heights and experienced some unforgettable moments during his tenure.
“After the season was complete, we had numerous discussions on the direction of the team and were pleased that we were moving forward with Jeff at the helm. Since that time, it became evident that consensus was increasingly hard to find and reality wasn’t matching the vision we discussed. It is unfortunate that this decision is coming at this juncture, but we believe that we have reached the point where change is in the best interest of both parties.
“We will start the head coaching search tomorrow. We expect to talk to a broad and diverse group of candidates. We are confident the coaching pool still has a number of quality candidates that can lead our football team.”
Fisher could not be reached for comment, but the Titans released a statement on his behalf:
“I want to thank Mr. Adams and the organization for a special 17 years. I can’t thank the fans enough for the support they showed us through the years; it has been a tremendous experience. We all did our very best and I think I can look back with fond memories and be very proud of what we accomplished. I want to wish the organization, the current players and the fans nothing but the best in the future.”
Efforts to reach Titans Executive Vice President Steve Underwood and General Manager Mike Reinfeldt were also unsuccessful.
Reached before the report was confirmed, Adams said: “Where did you hear that? I better check on that. I can’t talk about it now. I have to talk to my people there. I haven’t talked to them today. I really can’t talk about it now because I don’t know what’s been said. I want to see what is going on.’’
Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger said he left the office at 3:30 and had not talked to Fisher.
“I would have stayed around,” he said. “I don’t know anything about it. … I tried to leave him a message but his voicemail was full. I don't have a reaction because I don't know what I'm reacting to yet.”
On Jan. 7, just two days after announcing plans to part ways with quarterback Vince Young, Adams announced plans to keep Fisher.
In a statement released by the Titans that day, Adams said:
“I appreciate all of our fans’ patience over the last week while I deliberated on the immediate future of the football team. I have informed our senior management that Jeff Fisher will be our head coach next season. Jeff has meant a great deal to this franchise and we have reached some incredible heights under his leadership. Obviously, I have very high expectations for our football team and want to deliver a championship to our fans. Jeff understands this and shares my expectations. The results of his leadership have been some very good football teams and I believe he will get us back to an elite level.”
Fisher’s record with the Titans is 147-126 including postseason. His 147 wins — including postseason — ranks him third among active coaches in career wins behind Bill Belichick (177) and Mike Shanahan (160).
Yet Fisher is also just 5-6 in the playoffs and hasn’t coached a playoff win since the 2003 season. His teams also lost at least six games in back-to-back seasons, and posted five-game losing streaks in five of the last several seasons.
