Now that this yr’s coaching musical chairs are executed, we will deal with these handed over by NFL organizations. One of the crucial surprising names on this checklist is former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. On prime of that, one of many excuses circulating across the water cooler for why he wasn’t employed is totally absurd. The bodily stature of a former participant turned head coach is a brand new one. If that’s the very best these entrance workplace executives can give you, that’s pathetic.
“He’s a very large human being. And can be very intimidating to people in an organization.”
That’s exceptionally bizarre to listen to when there are already different coaches main franchises who’re related in dimension or larger than Vrabel. Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is 6 ‘5″, only about an inch or so taller than Vrabel. Ron Rivera is about 6’3” and has kept a head coaching job (until recently) for the past decade. All big, and what could be perceived as, “intimidating” men. However, that doesn’t make them bad guys. This is a league that isn’t shy about employing dudes who’ve allegedly beaten, sexually assaulted, and abused women repeatedly.
Now certain executives are suddenly afraid to hire this big brawny, former player who just ended a stint as head coach? There’s no name attached to this quote from Dianna Russini, but it feels like this probably came from someone within the Titans’ front office. He’d fallen out of favor with the franchise and the writing was on the wall midway through the season.
The fact that Vrabel was left out of the hiring mix isn’t really the issue. He’ll likely jump back in next year, but for someone to use him being a “large human” as a reason for not hiring him is silly. That doesn’t mean those words weren’t uttered behind closed doors, it just sounds bonkers.
Vrabel’s Titans had four winning seasons to begin his tenure, played in an AFC title game, and made the postseason in three of his six years in Nashville. Yes, they had two down years at the end, but overall Vrabel did a solid job. Had they gotten it right at the quarterback position earlier, maybe things would have turned out differently. Regardless, this nonsense about him being an intimidating figure is bull.
There’s additionally the conspiracy principle angle my colleague, Sean Beckwith, floated final week. He posed the thought of every little thing Bill Belichick being “shadow-banned” by NFL franchises. A few weeks in the past, few thought Dan Quinn would land a brand new gig forward of Belichick and even Vrabel. But, right here we’re, practically per week into February with Belichick and Vrabel on the mistaken sideline. Perhaps there’s one thing to it.
