Titans fans have been waiting with anticipation for who will be the new head coach. The Titans cast a wide net on their search, from former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett to former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. They had former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh in their sights and were slated to fly to meet him. But before they were able to fly to him, he agreed to be the New York Giants' head coach before Tennessee flew to his home to meet him in person. And one other candidate, former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, was on their list as well. The Titans wanted to bring him in, but the Atlanta Falcons did not let him leave without offering him a deal to become their new head coach. So with those two coaches off the market, the Titans are reportedly down to three candidates.
Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the three finalists for the Titans head coaching search are San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Halfley and Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.
Tennessee’s three known HC finalists are Robert Saleh, Matt Nagy and Jeff Hafley. Https://t.co/SMDz2N6qGx
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 18, 2026
All three coaches come from solid organizations where winning is the standard, and there is a culture, but which one is the best fit for the Titans?
Let’s start with Saleh. He was slated to do a Zoom call with the Titans, but instead, the Titans moved up their in-person head coach interview with Saleh to Monday. His identity as a defensive coach will concern some, but he has head-coaching experience. Saleh was the head coach of the New York Jets and after a 2-3 start in the 2024 season, the Jets decided to let Saleh go. While him being let go during the season and his 20-36 record sound rough, the circumstances of his tenure in New York have to be discussed. Saleh was 4-13 in his first year and moved up to 7-10 in his second season. And then the Jets brought in veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers and things changed. Rogers was injured on the first play of the 2023 season and Saleh still coached them to a 7-10 season. The following season, things did not look solid, as it seemed Rodgers had more control in the organization from ownership than Saleh did. The organization brought in Rodgers’ former offensive coordinator and some recommendations from Rodgers for his second season in New York, but neither worked well. Giving Rodgers power in the organization was part of the reason why his run in New York fell short. With Tennessee, he has a vet in Jeffery Simmons that would likely thrive under his tutelage and defensive philosophy. Plus, Saleh is known to be liked by his players and is known to be a leader of men. The question remains, though, who does he bring in as the offensive coordinator to work with 2025 number one overall pick Cam Ward if he is hired? Some point to former Dolphins offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, but he is in play for multiple teams as a head coach and an offensive coordinator.
With Hafley, his rise to being a head coaching candidate has been fascinating to watch. Back in January of 2024, Hafley just finished his fourth season as the head coach of the Boston College Eagles. People thought he was going into recruiting and thinking of how to build his team. Then, January 31, 2024, happened. Hafley was offered and accepted the defensive coordinator position with the Green Bay Packers after they firedtheir previous coordinator, Joe Barry, citing inconsistent performances on that side of the ball. Ever since he has taken over, the Packers' defense has been good. In his first season, they ranked in the Top 10 in total yards allowed, points allowed, and forced turnovers, with 17, which tied for the most in the NFL. In 2024, they regressed a bit, but they remained an excellent defense that caused opponents many problems. Hafley has been creative and fosters an opportunistic yet tough defense that would also fit Simmons. But he also has head coaching experience, albeit at the college level. But you also have to wonder how he brings in as an offensive coordinator and how he leads a team at the professional level, because leading a team at the collegiate level is totally different from leading one in the NFL.
Lastly, we have Matt Nagy. He was once the head coach of the Chicago Bears, but he was fired from that job and returned to the Kansas City Chiefs as a member of their staff. He was the quarterbacks coach when he returned to Kansas City in 2022, and the following season, he was named the offensive coordinator. For what it is worth, the last three seasons, the Kansas City offense has not been great. They were good in the 2023 season, ranking in the Top 15 in key stats. But in the last two seasons, the Chiefs' offense has been sliding towards the bottom of the NFL. With Patrick Mahomes there, some would not understand why they slid so far. But with offensive line issues, an inconsistent running game, and wide receivers who have had questions for the last two seasons, you can see why. And even with that, Nagy was part of helping get just enough out of what was there to get them to the Super Bowl at the end of the 2024 season, and he also helped them get some Super Bowl wins during his time too. The positive for him is that he has had success as a head coach, leading the Bears to the playoffs twice during his time there, and he has also been around a great quarterback in Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. Factor in that he has a great rapport with Titans’ general manager Mike Borgonzi, and he could be an offensive guy to work with Cam Ward, and that makes him an attractive candidate for the Titans and what they want to do moving forward. His hiring of a defensive coordinator will also be something to watch if he becomes the new Tennessee Titans head coach. Another thing to think about is that he did not really have sustained success in Chicago over his four years there, with his record declining each season, and the offense did not really click as some thought it would.
All three have their positives and negatives, but one of them has to be named the head coach of the Tennessee Titans. If it comes to energy and leadership, Saleh should be it. If it comes to prior coaching experience and his recent level of success, then Hafley may be your guy. And if it comes to knowledge and success, then Nagy could be it. It will be interesting to see which direction the Titans go and how Titans fans receive that move.