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SPORTS A21
Wednesday 4 November
Titans fire Ken Whisenhunt, nameMike Mularkey interim coach
The Titans have started coach with the Buffalo Bills
four rookies on offense this in 2004-05 and in 2012 with
season, including Mariota Jacksonville and played
who has missed the last nine years in the NFL with
two games with a sprained Minnesota and Pittsburgh.
MCL in his left knee. Tennes- Mularkey also has been an
see currently ranks next to offensive coordinator with
last in the NFL, averaging Pittsburgh, Miami and At-
17.9 points per game. lanta.
Mularkey arrived in Ten- The Falcons had a 3,000-
nessee with Whisenhunt yard passer, 1,000-yard re-
as tight ends coach and ceiver and 1,000-yard rush-
was promoted to assistant er in three of Mularkey’s
head coach this offsea- four seasons between 2008
son. He has been a head and 2011.q
In this Sept. 20, 2015, file photo, Tennessee Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt reacts in the fourth
quarter of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, in Cleveland.
Associated Press
TERESA M. WALKER who hired Whisenhunt in It’s the worst skid since this
AP Pro Football Writer January 2014. team left Houston for Ten-
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) “We have expected more nessee in 1997 and ranks
— Tennessee controlling progress on the field, and among the worst stretches
owner Amy Adams Strunk I felt it was time to move in franchise history.
had been thinking of mak- in a different direction,” Whisenhunt’s .130 winning
ing a coaching change for Strunk said in a statement. percentage also ranks be-
weeks, and team President “I would like to thank Ken hind only Leeman Bennett
Steve Underwood said they for his efforts with our team, with Tampa Bay and Rich
caught Mike Mularkey a bit as he worked very hard to Kotite with the New York
off-guard Tuesday morning try to move us forward.” Jets (4-28, .125) for the worst
asking him to take over as Mularkey said he hopes to NFL coaching record since
interim head coach. earn this job after a nine- 1970, according to STATS.
The Titans fired Ken Whisen- game audition. Offensive Whisenhunt tied with Jim
hunt after a 3-20 tenure coordinator Jason Michael Ringo who went 3-20 with
with the franchise. will take over calling plays, Buffalo.The coach thanked
“When you’re not winning a job Whisenhunt previous- the Titans for the opportu-
and you can’t win, that’s ly handled. “Our roster right nity and his coaches and
when change happens in now is the roster that’s go- players for their hard work.
the NFL,” Underwood said. ing to get us out of the hole “I am sorry we weren’t able
Underwood said he and we’re in,” Mularkey said. to get it done in our time
general manager Rus- The Titans went 2-14 in here,” Whisenhunt said in
ton Webster told Whisen- Whisenhunt’s debut sea- a statement issued through
hunt they were making a son. It was their worst re- the Titans.
change on Tuesday morn- cord since 1994, after go- Titans cornerback Perrish
ing. The president said ing 7-9 in 2013 under Mike Cox, who missed the last
promoting Mularkey was Munchak. Tennessee draft- two games to an injured
based on his experience as ed Heisman Trophy win- hamstring, called the move
an offensive coordinator. ner Marcus Mariota with frustrating on Twitter.
Dick LeBeau is the other the No. 2 pick overall in “For anyone who wants to
former head coach on the the draft, then named him kno, no i am NOT happy
coaching staff, but he’s in the starter. They won their with wiz gone, he was a
charge of a defense cur- opener 42-14 in Tampa good coach, he wznt the
rently fifth in the NFL in yards Bay, then lost six straight for prob and we all know it!!,”
allowed. the longest skid in the NFL. Cox wrote.
Whisenhunt’s latest loss Three of the losses were by Safety Michael Griffin, the
came Sunday in Houston, a combined six points, and longest-tenured player on
where this franchise was Whisenhunt was just 1-11 at the roster, wrote in a text to
founded and with Strunk home. The Associated Press that
in the stadium. That ap- That was the 16th loss in 17 anyone hates someone
parently the last straw for games for Tennessee, and getting fired, but everyone
Strunk, who was not at the Titans also have lost their knows this is a business.
Tuesday’s press confer- last 12 games against AFC “I will say I have a lot of re-
ence. She took over as opponents for the longest spect for coach Whiz and
controlling owner in March such skid by a team inside I wish him the best,” Griffin
replacing Tommy Smith its conference in the NFL. wrote.
