UPDATE (10:24 a.m. ET): The Tennessee Titans already have made it official, announcing they’ve parted ways with head coach Mike Mularkey.
Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk confirmed in a statement that the team had contract extension talks with Mularkey over the past week, but that ” it became evident that we saw different paths to achieve greater success.”
ORIGINAL STORY: So, about that supposed job security …
The Tennessee Titans and head coach Mike Mularkey have “mutually agreed to part ways,” ESPN’s Field Yates reported Monday, citing a league source. The Titans’ season ended in Foxboro on Saturday after a 35-14 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional Round.
It’s been a roller coaster 10 days for Mularkey, to say the least. Following Tennessee’s upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Wild Card Round, Mularkey criticized the organization for not being clear about his standing with the team, admitting he “assumed the worst” after rumors swirled the weekend prior about him losing his job.
Mularkey’s comments prompted team controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk to back the Titans coach in a public statement, declaring that Mularkey “is our head coach and will be our head coach going forward.”
Furthermore, it was reported Sunday that Mularkey and the Titans were negotiating a contract extension, a clear sign Tennessee wanted him around for the long haul.
It appears those extension talks fell through, as the 56-year-old reportedly is out of a job less than 24 hours later.
Mularkey finishes with a 21-22 overall record with the Titans. After going 2-7 as an interim coach in the 2015 season, he guided Tennessee to back-to-back 9-7 records and a playoff berth this season, the franchise’s first postseason appearance since 2008.
