Tennessee Titans interim coach: "I understand the frustration"
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Mike McCoy. Photo: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
The Tennessee Titans moved into the post-Callahan era on Tuesday, with interim coach Mike McCoy pledging he would fight to shift the beleaguered team's momentum.
Why it matters: Eleven games remain in the Titans' season and no one is expecting a miracle. But fans are desperate for something — anything — to cheer about.
The latest: McCoy had a message for them during his first press conference as interim coach: "I understand the frustration."
What he's saying: "Our record is what it is," McCoy said. "But I can promise you we're going to work our tails off."
The big picture: Former coach Brian Callahan took the brunt of the fans' anger this season as the Titans sank to new lows, stumbling to a 1-5 record.
- "Our players, fans, and community deserve a football team that achieves a standard we are not currently meeting," Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker said in a statement announcing Callahan's exit on Monday.
- "We are committed to making the hard decisions necessary to reach and maintain that standard."
State of play: McCoy said his top priority as Callahan's interim replacement would be strengthening the Titans offense, which has floundered for years. That includes nurturing rookie quarterback Cam Ward, who has been uneven in his debut season.
- "That's gonna be our No. 1 focus is how do we get Cam to be more efficient and have more success," McCoy said.
- "It's not just him. There are 10 other guys in the field with him that have got to do their jobs better, too. ... We all have to do our job better."
Reality check: "As a young player, as a rookie, there's going to be some bumps in the road," McCoy said.
Zoom in: McCoy, who joined the Titans as senior offensive assistant in March, has worked for several teams and was head coach of the San Diego Chargers from 2013 to 2016.
- He said his work with other quarterbacks, including Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, who overlapped with him at the Denver Broncos in 2012, would inform his work.
The bottom line: "We've got a lot of hard work ahead of us," McCoy said.
What we're watching: Team leaders said they are focused on supporting McCoy during the season before launching the search for a permanent coach in earnest.
- Brinker said he and general manager Mike Borgonzi would lead the search.
What's next: The Titans face the New England Patriots and their coach Mike Vrabel on Sunday.
The intrigue: Vrabel coached the Titans for years before he got fired (and replaced by Callahan) in 2024.