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Well, we knew it was coming, but today they made it official.
The Tennessee Titans confirmed today that they interview Los Angeles Rams Offensive Coordinator Matt LaFleur for their head coach vacancy.
Titans interview third head coaching candidate, Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur. #TitanUp
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) January 19, 2018
Head Coaching Search » https://t.co/MS0AfCKa9O pic.twitter.com/btqNgxJu1o
Head coaching candidate Matt LaFleur:
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) January 19, 2018
• Offensive coordinator, Los Angeles Rams (2017)
• QB coach, Atlanta Falcons (2015-16)
• QB coach, Notre Dame (2014)
• QB coach, Washington Redskins (2010-13)
Through the Years » https://t.co/Pfij7Md2Ro pic.twitter.com/9wmek9w8Du
Over at Music City Miracles, the SB Nation community for fans of the Titans, they had this to say:
LaFleur is just 38 years old. It’s kind of crazy that Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay already have coaching trees. Everyone is trying to duplicate what the Rams did last season with McVay, but I would be hesitant here.
McVay still calls the plays for the Rams, which begs the question on whether or not LaFleur is ready for this responsibility. I would feel much more comfortable hiring him as an offensive coordinator, giving him full control of play-calling duties. Who knows if he would even be open to that, but it would be hard for me to hand someone the keys to the franchise without that proven ability.
From here, we really don’t know where the Titans will go. Obviously, there are some legitimate candidates still coaching this weekend. Now, the waiting game begins. As soon as we get wind of who the next interview will be, we’ll have it here for you.
I’ll put something together on what I really thinks this means for the Rams, but I think the key here today is to gauge Titans’ fans reactions to the news because it’s...overwhelmingly positive.
Check the Twitter replies to those two tweets from the team account and the comments in that MCM story. There’s an obvious appetite for LaFleur’s resume that certainly isn’t unfounded. Between his work this last season with the NFL’s highest-scoring offense to his two-year stint as the QB coach with the Atlanta Falcons with QB Matt Ryan, there’s a lot to like from what LaFleur has been involved with recently.
We’ll see if the Titans make the move to hire a head coach with just one year of offensive coordinator experience without calling plays on offense. It would certainly be a courageous hire given LaFleur’s lack of experience at his current professional level, but given the trend across the NFL for hiring young, offensive minds (and the results that one such mind got in LA this year), it wouldn’t be a total shock.