Tennessee Titans fire Mike Vrabel, an Akron native, Walsh Jesuit grad

The Tennessee Titans on Tuesday fired head coach Mike Vrabel, a Walsh Jesuit High School graduate from Akron.

In six seasons with the Titans, Vrabel's team won the AFC South division twice. Vrabel won the 2021 NFL Coach of the Year Award. The Titans were 54-45 in the regular season under Vrabel, making him the third-winningest coach in franchise history. Tennessee went 2-3 in the playoffs under Vrabel, who guided the team to the AFC Championship Game during the 2019 season.

"Earlier today, I spoke with Mike Vrabel and told him about my decision to make a change at head coach. As I told Coach Vrabel, this decision was as difficult as any I've made as Controlling Owner. I appreciate Mike's contributions to the Tennessee Titans both on and off the field," Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement released on the Titans' website. "Anyone who has ever met him knows how passionate and genuine he is, and he's been a strong supporter of the Nashville community. We wish Mike, Jen, and the Vrabel family nothing but the best in the future."

This season, the Titans went just 6-11 and lost seven of their last 10 games. In 2022, the Titans went 7-10 and ended the season on a seven-game losing streak.

Tennessee holds the No. 7 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft.

Browns news: Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz 'greatly indebted to' Titans coach Mike Vrabel

"As the NFL continues to innovate and evolve, I believe the teams best positioned for sustained success will be those who empower an aligned and collaborative team across all football functions," Adams Strunk said in the statement. "Last year, we began a shift in our approach to football leadership and made several changes to our personnel to advance that plan. As I continued to assess the state of our team, I arrived at the conclusion that the team would also benefit from the fresh approach and perspective of a new coaching staff."

Vrabel was born at Akron City Hospital and told the Beacon Journal's Nate Ulrich last year that he lived in Springfield Township until he moved in middle school to Stow.

Vrabel is considered among the best football players to ever come out of the Akron area. He was a multi-position football player for Walsh, played basketball and was a member of the track and field team.

Vrabel was inducted into the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame in October.

Speculation begins about Mike Vrabel and Ohio State football

Vrabel played his college football career at Ohio State from 1993 to 1996. As a Buckeye, he had 36 sacks and was named a first-team All-American. He was twice named Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. He went on to play 14 NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1997-2000), New England Patriots (2001-08) and Kansas City Chiefs (2009-10), winning three Super Bowls with the Patriots.

Of course, now the speculation will begin about Vrabel potentially returning to Ohio State if the Buckeyes choose to fire Ryan Day, who has lost to Michigan in three consecutive seasons and not won a national title.

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Ben Axelrod of the website Awful Announcing tweeted what had to race through the mind of any Ohio State Buckeyes fan given the lackluster season the team just had.

“Vrabel is going to get another NFL job and probably quickly. But Ohio State should at least make the call and see what it would take,” Axelrod wrote.

Tennessee Titans face a tough task replacing Mike Vrabel at head coach

With Vrabel's firing there are now six openings for head coaches in the NFL. They are the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders and Titans.

Former Browns general manager Mike Lombardi joined the chorus of those on social media who view the firing of Vrabel as a mistake.

Lombardi tweeted: “Does anyone in Tennessee know how hard it will be to replace Vrabel?”

Lombardi added:  “GM's two main jobs. Get a great head coach [and] fix the qb short and long term. Yesterday Tennessee had one, now they need two.”

Titans four-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry told The Athletic he was "shocked" by Vrabel's firing.

“Coach Vrabel is a leader of men. He is a great coach and teacher,” Henry said. “I know he will get another opportunity right away. I look forward to it.”

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Mike Vrabel, an Akron native, fired by Tennessee Titans