WoW!!!
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WoW!!! -
Jeff Fisher is gone!!
That's a shocker.Comment -
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awful coach.Comment -
about time, so why did vince young leave
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Jeff Fisher compiled a 142-140 record in 16-plus seasons with the Titans, including just a 5-6 mark in the playoffs.
Robert Beck/SI
In an unexpected development in what already has been a turbulent offseason in Tennessee, the Titans and Jeff Fisher, the NFL's longest-tenured head coach, are preparing to part ways, SI.com learned Thursday afternoon.
According to an NFL source close to the situation in Tennessee, the move could be announced as early as Friday, although it's uncertain if Fisher's departure will be termed a firing, a resignation or a mutual parting of ways.
Though information about Fisher's situation was scarce Thursday, it was confirmed by a league source that he will not return to coach the team in 2011, contrary to what was previously expected. Fisher was said to be in the process of negotiating the terms of his departure with Titans owner Bud Adams.
According to a league source, only Adams, Fisher, Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt and team general counsel Steve Underwood were aware of the finer details of Fisher's imminent departure early Thursday evening. Members of the Titans front office could not be reached for comment Thursday, but SI.com was in contact with a member of the Titans public relations staff, who could not confirm the news.
Fisher has been on the job with the Houston/Tennessee organization since being named interim head coach late in the 1994 season, and he was expected to return for a 17th full season this year. But Fisher's future with the team beyond that was considered somewhat tenuous given that he was entering the final year of his contract, and Adams did not decide to retain him until Jan. 7, five days after Tennessee closed out a disappointing 6-10 season -- the Titans' worst since 2005.
In choosing to keep Fisher and release fifth-year starting quarterback Vince Young, Adams had seemingly settled the protracted standoff that had existed between Fisher and Young since late November, when the two had a very heated argument in the Titans' locker room following a home loss to Washington.
While it's not known what prompted the change regarding Fisher's status in Tennessee, league sources say Fisher was not happy to lose a pair of his longtime defensive coaches last week. Fisher fired defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil, one of his closest friends, and saw well-respected Titans defensive line coach Jim Washburn accept a similar position on Andy Reid's staff in Philadelphia. Given that Fisher had just one year of security to offer any potential coaching replacements, it was thought that his task of filling those roles would be different.
The Titans started promisingly in 2010, going 5-2 and fielding the league's second-highest scoring offense behind the Patriots through seven weeks of the regular season. But Tennessee lost eight of its final nine games, suffered through the Young-Fisher controversy, and endured the news that offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger was diagnosed with cancer.
The Titans missed the playoffs in each of Fisher's last two seasons, going 8-8 in 2009 after an 0-6 start. Tennessee is the only team in the NFL to have a losing streak of at least six games in both of the past two seasons. Tennessee's last playoff trip came in 2008, but the No. 1 seeded Titans wasted their 13-3 regular season when they lost at home to No. 6-seeded Baltimore in the AFC divisional round.
Fisher was the NFL's youngest head coach at 36 when he was promoted from Oilers defensive coordinator to interim head coach in mid-November 1994, replacing the fired Jack Pardee. He was named the franchise's full time head coach in early January 1995, and went 142-120 (.542) in his 16-plus regular seasons with the Oilers/Titans. But Fisher was just 5-6 in the playoffs, with one Super Bowl trip (1999), four division titles and six postseason berths over that span. Three of Fisher's five postseason wins came during Tennessee's 1999 Super Bowl run -- it lost that game to St. Louis, 23-16 -- and the Titans have not won a playoff game since winning at Baltimore in the first round of the 2003 postseason.
While speculation swirled around the Fisher and Young drama earlier this offseason, Fisher repeatedly said he hoped to finish his coaching career in Tennessee. Fisher, who will be 53 late next month, was under contract for $6.5 million in 2011, and had been in his job more than four full seasons longer than the NFL's next most-tenured head coach, Philadelphia's Andy Reid.Comment -
Stupid. He won't be out of work for long.Comment -
if true, he'll have another job as soon as he wants another job.....Comment -
Wow, he won't be off the sidelines for long.Comment -
stunningComment -
where did u here this.havent heard nothing about it on espn or out localsports talkComment -
Not on espn or Nfl network....can anyone confirm this??Comment -
I wonder if Jerry Jones would have grabbed him if he knew he was leaving.Comment -
now bring back that tard of a qbComment -
ESPN just reported it on Sportcenter just now.Comment -
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hes better at being a coach than that boy at qb was at being a qbComment -
Good he can bring his roughneck azz somewhere else.Comment -
will not be gone long; someone will pick him up quick. was the dean of nfl coaches. change of senerey will
help. one of top 5 coaches in league in my opinion.Comment -
he may not be gone now... He has not been officially released from the team
That being said, to answer your question, basically because of insubordination and acting like a 12 year old kid.
A lot of the players were also going to be pissed if he came back. They say he doesn't know what he is doing in the huddle and doesn't know the whole offense etc...Comment -
Jeff Fisher is still one the top coaches in the league. He was just a little slow to realize Vince Young is uncoachable.Comment -
Tennessee made him fire one of his best friends last week, Chuck Cecil I think is who it is. Since most of the Head Coaching vacancies are filled, he'll sit out the season and get hired in 2012.
He's a smart guy who could end up doing some television too. I'm not sure though how he was able to hang on to his gig for as long as he did.Comment -
Jeff Fisher not returning next year
Holy Shit, Thats huge news for any teams looking for a REAL coach! Interested to see where he ends up, FBTComment -
Cecil is the one I was talking about that may have been the reason for this. Fisher gave Cecil an extension then a few weeks later they got rid of Cecil. I don't know how Fisher can do that without the head office being involved, but they have been talking about that for weeks around here. I don't think anyone saw it causing this (if that is what caused it).
Fisher was going to be on thin ice anyway this year. The only reason why Adams didn't get rid of him a few weeks ago was because of $$.Comment -
Wow...doesn't that mean he wants VY still?Comment -
I wonder how many teams that have head coaches locked in are going to contact him. 80% of the teams that didn't make the playoffs should think about bringing him in.Comment -
It's about freaking time! The guys been in Tennessee since 1995 and only got one Superbowl losing appearance to show for it! Which was 10 freaking years ago.
I think Andy Reid is next. The NFL want Winners!Comment -
+100 Vince Young had a hand in it.Comment -
I think the decision to wait until after teams hired a head coach was low. I might not be able to wear my Titans gear this year.Comment -
That sucks for the Titans, unless they can get Cowher or Gruden.Comment -
This is a shocker, I thought with Vince Young gone that Fisher's job was safe. He's still a very good coach and will be snatched up soon.Comment -
Wow, big news...is he going to coach somewhere else?Comment -
That is unreal wow.
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he needs to be chargers head coach right nowComment
