ESPN: Mike Mularkey deserves huge credit for Titans' turnaround

[swiper]

A guy that walked out on the Russ Brandon circus succeeds elsewhere. We had him folks. What do you say now, seeing him succeed elsewhere? Is it just him having gained more experience or having a good QB or did the Bills make a mistake letting him go? I was never really a fan of his, but he's worked hard for success, so I guess, it's good to see him succeed.


Mike Mularkey deserves huge credit for Titans' turnaround (http://www.espn.com/blog/tennessee-titans/post/_/id/21530/mike-mularkey-deserves-credit-for-titans-turnaround)


NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Upon learning that the Tennessee Titans officially selected Mike Mularkey to be the 18th coach in franchise history on Jan. 16, 2016, one reporter who follows the team dubbed the hire spectacularly uninspired.

Um, sorry about that Mike.

While it was hardly unreasonable to find fault in the selection of a coach who had an 18-39 career record, in his first year as the Titans' head coach he delivered on a large share of his promises and deserves a great deal of credit for taking a team that had the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft to a 9-7 record.

“The things I saw in Mike last year are things that everyone else has seen this year,” controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said. “He was in a really hard position coming in as interim head coach. It’s a thankless job. You can’t make your changes. You don’t have your people.

His staff, largely an older group, got far better production out of the offensive line, receivers, running backs, pass-rushers, and the run defense than the Titans had seen in some time.

[The Jokeman]

A guy that walked out on the Russ Brandon circus succeeds elsewhere. We had him folks. What do you say now, seeing him succeed elsewhere? Is it just him having gained more experience or having a good QB or did the Bills make a mistake letting him go? I was never really a fan of his, but he's worked hard for success, so I guess, it's good to see him succeed.


Mike Mularkey deserves huge credit for Titans' turnaround (http://www.espn.com/blog/tennessee-titans/post/_/id/21530/mike-mularkey-deserves-credit-for-titans-turnaround)
We didn't let him go, he chose to leave because he didn't agree with Wilson's bringing in Marv Levy as GM. I don't blame him for leaving.

[swiper]

We didn't let him go, he chose to leave because he didn't agree with Wilson's bringing in Marv Levy as GM. I don't blame him for leaving.

Right. He walked out on the team. Over disagreements with OBD. I guess my question should have been, "seeing how hard he has worked to succeed, should OBD have given him what he wanted?"

[The Jokeman]

Right. He walked out on the team. Over disagreements with OBD. I guess my question should have been, "seeing how hard he has worked to succeed, should OBD have given him what he wanted?"

King Ralph would never bow to a HC like that. Look at how he treated guys like Lou Saban and Wade Phillips.

[swiper]

King Ralph would never bow to a HC like that. Look at how he treated guys like Lou Saban and Wade Phillips.

Wilson was taking his queues from Russ Brandon & Jeff Littman.

[CommissarSpartacus]

Mularky was told by Ralph and Tom Donahoe after the ridiculous 2005 Losmania farce that he could keep his job only if he agreed to fire Tom Clements, who was responsible for Mularky getting the gig in the first place.

Mularky agreed to his eternal shame, fired Clements, who was more than happy to go, and then a couple of days later, in a fit of remorse, resigned citing some BS about some people being mean to his kids at school and on the street.

[Albany,n.y.]

Here's my theory: Mularkey knew that Marv didn't want to be GM, that Marv wanted to coach. He figured Marv would fire him in the middle of the next season & name himself coach. He wanted none of that. After Mularkey quit, Ralph told Marv he couldn't be the coach & that's when Marv hired Jauron.

I always thought Mularkey got screwed in Jacksonville-being saddled with Blaine Gabbert & fired after 1 season.

[Arm of Harm]

Here's my theory: Mularkey knew that Marv didn't want to be GM, that Marv wanted to coach. He figured Marv would fire him in the middle of the next season & name himself coach. He wanted none of that. After Mularkey quit, Ralph told Marv he couldn't be the coach & that's when Marv hired Jauron.

I always thought Mularkey got screwed in Jacksonville-being saddled with Blaine Gabbert & fired after 1 season.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I recall that Mularkey had one year left on his contract, and that the Bills wouldn't give him an extension. It's very difficult for a head coach in that situation to attract good assistants, because few assistants want to sign on with a head coach who has only one year left. As a former head coach himself Marv knew this. He knew that he was, in essence, forcing Mularkey out. Which is what you'd expect, if Marv felt that he himself should be Mularkey's replacement. Note that all this was accomplished in a way which got Ralph out of having to pay for that last year of Mularkey's contract.

[HHURRICANE]

I believe we've had four decent coaches: Marrone, Phillips, Mularkey, and Rex.

You can be a mediocre coach and win with talent. You can be a great coach and never win without it.

Look at the ****ty GMs and the mystery to our 17 year drought becomes simple.

[TacklingDummy]

Look at the ****ty GMs and the mystery to our 17 year drought becomes simple.

Actually you look at the history of this franchise and the answer is quite clear.

1 time they had a QB and 1 time they were consistent winners, in 57 years

[DynaPaul]

I think you guys are looking at this with nostalgia goggles. Mularkey was not exactly coach of the year when he was here in Buffalo. Maybe he's learned something since then, maybe he's had a better roster with a legit QB to work with, maybe it could be a thousand other reasons. All I know is that you can't assume that he'd replicate the same success had he stayed in Buffalo.

[HHURRICANE]

Actually you look at the history of this franchise and the answer is quite clear.

1 time they had a QB and 1 time they were consistent winners, in 57 years

The GM is responsible for getting the QB.

[TacklingDummy]

The GM is responsible for getting the QB.

Luck has a lot to do with being a good GM.

[pats-were-right]

Actually you look at the history of this franchise and the answer is quite clear.

1 time they had a QB and 1 time they were consistent winners, in 57 years
Two. Two times. That Kemp guy was ok.

[Forward_Lateral]

I always liked Mike. At the time he quit, I was pissed at him, until I realized he saw what was coming before it happened. Levy was a trainwreck GM, and Mularkey wanted nothing to do with being a puppet.

[Arm of Harm]

Two. Two times. That Kemp guy was ok.

I'd put Kemp a step above Ryan Fitzpatrick, two steps below Jim Kelly. Kemp's INT percentage was very high, and his yards per pass attempt was significantly lower than that of the best QBs of his day.

[HHURRICANE]

Luck has a lot to do with being a good GM.

Luck has a lot to do with succes in life. Bottom line is we've reduced our chances for good luck with terrible GMs.