Jeff Fisher Could Be Out In Tennessee

Added on Jan 04, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

The longest tenured head coach in the NFL is on thin ice. Jeff Fisher was hired by the Titans organization when they were still the Houston Oilers. Bill Clinton was in the first term of his Presidency. Kurt Cobain had been dead for six months. The year was 1994, 16 seasons ago. During that time, Fisher has compiled a regular season record of 142-120, with six playoff appearances and a trip to Super Bowl XXXIV. Whether or not those accomplishments will be enough to keep him in Tennessee remains to be seen.

The Titans looked like a legit contender in October before losing eight of their final nine games and finishing with a 6-10 record. Vince Young was lost to a season-ending hand injury. The team traded for Randy Moss. Some guy named Rusty Smith started a game under center. Cornerback Cortland Finnegan engaged in on-field fisticuffs with Andre Johnson. Chris Johnson struggled to find rushing room.

Amidst all the chaos, Fisher drew a line in the sand in regards to disgruntled quarterback Young. In so many words, he presented a “either he goes or I go” ultimatum to owner Bud Adams. VY skipped the team’s final meeting and has pretty much steered clear of Titans’ headquarters since being placed on IR. Adams has been a staunch supporter of Young, but in light of the frosty relationship between coach and quarterback, he may be be forced to dump one or both.

A change might be best for all parties involved. Fisher has zero postseason wins in only two trips since 2003. After Steve McNair left in 2005, there’s been a never-ending quarterback carousel. Key free agent departures and poor acquisitions have proved costly, as has the slow development of high draft picks such as Young and tight end Jared Cook.

At this point, Adams doesn’t seem to be in too big a hurry to render a decision on Fisher’s future:

“I have been at this for a long time, and these decisions take time and thoughtful consideration,” Adams said. “I will make the decisions that I feel are in the best interest of the team. I do understand the time element involved and would expect to make these decisions in the near future.”

Meanwhile, Fisher is assuming a confident stance: