Ken Whisenhunt fired as coach of Tennessee Titans

• published: 04 Nov 2015
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Ken Whisenhunt fired as coach of Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans have fired Ken Whisenhunt less than two years into his tenure as the team's coach. The Titans announced the decision Tuesday, promoting assistant head coach/tight ends coach Mike Mularkey to interim coach after the team's 1-6 start. "After thoughtful consideration, the decision has been made to relieve Ken Whisenhunt of his head coaching duties," Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement. "We have expected more progress on the field, and I felt it was time to move in a different direction. I would like to thank Ken for his efforts with our team, as he worked very hard to try to move us forward." EDITOR'S PICKS Stubbornness ultimately sealed Ken Whisenhunt's fate Ken Whisenhunt's unwillingness to make changes to his offensive scheme played a hefty role in his firing after he went 3-20 with the Titans. Titans'€™ Mike Mularkey took his share of blame in very first comment Interim coach Mike Mularkey took some responsibility for the Titans' poor performance this season, which led to Ken Whisenhunt's dismissal on Tuesday. What you need to know about Titans interim coach Mike Mularkey Mike Mularkey, who is in his 21st season coaching in the NFL, is known for his stoic nature and insistence on keeping team issues in-house. Interim Titans president and CEO Stave Underwood said during a news conference that Strunk had been considering the move for several weeks. "She and I have had any number of conversations about it," Underwood said. "She was in almost daily communication with Ken and [GM] Ruston Webster. I think she's been to every single game at home or on the road. She follows the team for hours every day. ... "Having been around the business for most of her life, I think it was something she decided as a process not an event." Underwood said he and Webster, who was not at the news conference, delivered the news to Whisenhunt on Wednesday morning Whisenhunt's unwillingness to make changes to his offensive scheme played a hefty role in his firing after going 3-20 with the Titans after signing a five-year contract prior to the 2014 season. "My family and I are grateful for our time in Nashville and my opportunity to work for the Titans," Whisenhunt said in a statement. "I am sorry we weren't able to get it done in our time here. Our players and staff were great to work with and I want to thank them for their dedication and hard work. I also want to thank the fans for their support and I wish the organization success moving forward." Mularkey, who interviewed with Underwood in 2010 before the Titans promoted Mike Munchak to replace Jeff Fisher, acknowledged being surprised by the Titans' decision. However, he said it was time to "turn the page." "As a position coach, coordinator and head coach, my philosophy has always been the same: Be a tough, physical football team now," Mularkey said. "That was my role with the tight ends. That's their No. 1 thing.