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And then there were three. The Tennessee Titans have quietly sat around waiting for the right head coaching candidate to emerge from the playoff rubble and have found their man. According to the ESPN Insider duo of Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen, former Chargers offensive coordinator has accepted the job as the new head coach in Tennessee.
From @mortreport and me: Ken Whisenhunt has accepted an offer to become the next coach of Tennessee Titans.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 13, 2014
Whisenhunt was largely credited for the major rebound of a season put forth by Philip Rivers in 2013. The San Diego quarterback posted one of his best statistical seasons while also leading the team to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. The offense appeared to do a one-eighty under Whisenhunt in just a year removed from the Norv Turner era.
The Titans decided to part ways with Mike Munchak after three seasons at the helm. It seemed to be a reluctant decision by the team, given that most other coaches that were fired came much earlier than the announcement of Munchak's departure. Some reports have said that Munchak is now on the radar of the Cleveland Browns' job.
The new head coach of the Titans rose to prominence with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the mid-2000s and oversaw the early development of Ben Roethlisberger. In 2007, Whisenhunt took over as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, where he led them to two playoff berths in six seasons, one of which was a Super Bowl appearance. He was relieved of his duties after the 2012 season.
Known as a quarterback guru, the Titans are undoubtedly hoping for some "Whiz" magic to rub off on soon-to-be fourth-year quarterback, Jake Locker. Some believe that Tennessee will be in the market for another quarterback in this May's NFL Draft. It's unclear who the Chargers will look to hire as their next offensive coordinator with Whisenhunt's departure.
The taking of the Titans coaching job leaves three that remain open: the Vikings, Lions and Browns are still searching for their next man to head up their respective teams. As we reported earlier on Monday, Zimmer appears to be the leading candidate for the Minnesota job at the moment.