Now that the carousel of coaching changes for this year has come to an end, we can shift our focus to those who were overlooked by NFL organizations. One of the most surprising names on this list is former head coach of the Tennessee Titans, Mike Vrabel. What’s even more absurd is one of the excuses circulating as to why he wasn’t hired. The idea that a former player turned head coach’s physical stature is a disqualifying factor is laughable. If this is the best reasoning that these front office executives can come up with, then it’s truly pathetic.
“He’s a very large individual and can be quite intimidating within an organization.”
It’s incredibly strange to hear such a statement when there are already other coaches leading teams who are of similar size or even bigger than Vrabel. Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell stands at 6’5″, only about an inch taller than Vrabel. Ron Rivera measures around 6’3″ and has held a head coaching position for the past decade. These are all big and, to some, potentially “intimidating” men. However, that doesn’t make them bad people. This is a league that has no qualms about employing individuals who have been accused of repeated instances of violence, sexual assault, and abuse towards women.
Now, all of a sudden, certain executives are afraid to hire a big, strong former player who just finished a stint as a head coach? The quote from Dianna Russini, although lacking a specific source, seems like it may have originated from someone within the Titans’ front office. Vrabel had fallen out of favor with the team, and it was evident halfway through the season.
The fact that Vrabel was not included in the pool of potential hires is not the main issue here. He will likely have another opportunity next year. However, using his physical size as a reason for not hiring him is simply ridiculous. It’s possible that these words were indeed spoken behind closed doors, but it sounds utterly nonsensical.
During Vrabel’s tenure with the Titans, they had four winning seasons, reached the AFC title game, and made the playoffs three times in six years. Yes, they had a couple of down years towards the end, but overall Vrabel did a commendable job. If they had made the right choices at the quarterback position earlier, perhaps things would have turned out differently. Regardless, the notion that he is an intimidating figure is unfounded.
There’s also a conspiracy theory angle that my colleague, Sean Beckwith, proposed last week. He suggested the idea of Bill Belichick being “shadow-banned” by NFL teams. Just a couple of weeks ago, few would have expected Dan Quinn to secure a new job before Belichick or even Vrabel. Yet, here we are, almost a week into February, with Belichick and Vrabel on the opposite side. Maybe there’s some truth to it.