Aug 16, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh looks on during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

How John Harbaugh Firing Affects Titans' HC Search

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Jan 7, 2026 7:00 AM ET

In a world where John Harbaugh is no longer employed, that means the Tennessee Titans are forced to fight even harder to bring in a head coach.

The competition just got a lot tougher, as the Baltimore Ravens' head coaching job is likely the most prized possession. Any coordinator or past head coach knows Baltimore is the place to be, not Tennessee.

That said, the Titans have a slight advantage as they already have quite a few interviews scheduled. They know Baltimore will be right on their tails looking to bring in as many candidates as possible, and that's something the Titans can't let get to them.

While they'll obviously be looking to bring in Harbaugh themselves, they still have to worry about how his firing looks for their organization. This just caused a whirlwind that made things ten times more complicated than they ever imagined.

Titans HC Job Is Less Intriguing

Ravens job just leaped ALL the way up to the top of the heap https://t.co/KS8DeaE7lW
— Buck Reising (@BuckReising) January 6, 2026

There are currently a ton of head coach openings and not all of them are as intriguing as a team with Lamar Jackson and former Titans running back Derrick Henry. While a young, rookie quarterback and a four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle are great, Tennessee is still far behind as they've gone 3-14 in their past two seasons.

Bringing in a guy like Harbaugh would seemingly solve everything, but that's much easier said than done. This firing has started teams to panic as they realize it's yet another job on the market and coaches who are coming in for interviews are going to use that as leverage.

As long as the Titans bring in the right guy, they'll have nothing to worry about. There are plenty of candidates out there, it's just a matter of them locking one up sooner rather than later.

Titans Need To Get Moving

Updated NFL landscape:

Head coach openings:
Ravens
Giants
Titans
Falcons
Cardinals
Browns
Raiders

GM openings:
Dolphins
Falcons
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 6, 2026

While the team would love to sit back and wait until they interview all of the candidates in the playoffs, they might not have time in a situation like this. There could be another firing or two that follows Harbaugh's, and one could only imagine how far back that pushes the Titans.

The sooner Tennessee locks up their next head coach, the better. Of course they want to interview as many people as possible and make sure they hire the best candidate, but at the same time they can't fall behind as that will only push their rebuild back a few more years.

This article first appeared on Tennessee Titans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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