Titans request to interview Ravens DC Mike Macdonald for Head Coach vacancy

The Ravens young defensive wunderkind could be in line to replace a former Coach of the Year award recipient.

Mike Macdonald’s days of designing and dialing plays for the Baltimore Ravens could very well be coming to an end as the second-year defensive coordinator continues to draw interest from opposing teams as a potential head coach candidate. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Tennessee Titans are the latest team to request to interview him to fill their vacancy.

The Titans aren’t wasting any time trying to find their next head coach after firing Mike Vrabel on Tuesday following a six-year tenure where he guided the team to four straight winning seasons from 2018-2021. He was named Coach of the Year in 2021 but the team has missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, going 13-21 over that span.

This marks Macdonald’s third interview request since Black Monday with the other two being the Washington Commanders who also requested to interview Ravens Associate Head Coach Anthony Weaver and the Carolina Panthers who also requested to to interview Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken.

At just 36-years-old, Macdonald is one of the hottest names in this year’s head coach hiring cycle after establishing himself as one of the brightest minds in the game regardless of age. Macdonald has shown an ability to lead, innovate, elevate and adapt his game plans to accentuate the strengths of his personnel and both confuse opponents while also attacking their weaknesses.

In just his second year on the job, his 2023 unit became the first in NFL history to finish the regular season as the league leaders in sacks (60), turnovers (31), and fewest points allowed per game (16.5). Teams typically tend to look toward the opposite side of the ball of their previous head coach’s expertise to find his replacement. However, Titans majority owner Amy Adams Strunk told the team website on the day of Vrabel’s firing that they won’t rule hiring another coach with a strong defensive background if it meant getting the best candidate for the job.

“I believe we need to improve across the board,” Strunk said. “It’s important to find someone that brings in a lot of diverse ideas and fresh perspective, and that’s the most important thing in the new head coach.”