The Titans will head into their preseason opener under the direction of a different head coach, with longtime assistant Terrell Williams expected to temporarily take over for Mike Vrabel.
Speaking with reporters on Monday, Vrabel announced Williams, Tennessee’s assistant head coach and defensive line coach, will serve as acting head coach for Saturday’s game against the Bears in Chicago. He also revealed he still plans to be on the sidelines for the game and will work with Williams’s assistant Clinton McMillan overseeing the defensive line.
“This is a great opportunity for him and for us, and everybody involved,” Vrabel said during his media availability.
The exciting, preseason assignment will mark the first time Williams, 49, has served in a head coaching capacity during his NFL tenure, an 11-year run that’s included stints as a defensive line coach for the Raiders and Dolphins.
In regards to the reason for his decision, Vrabel noted the experience and exposure could prove valuable for Williams as a potential future head coaching candidate. Williams, who is Black, is one of several minority coaches and other staff members a part of the Titans’ organization, which hired its first black manager, Ran Carthon, in January.
“I’ll help him where need be, but I do think it’ll be a great opportunity, well-deserved. And so just something that I wanted to do,” Vrabel added.
Mike Vrabel announces that assistant HC and DL coach Terrell Williams will serve as Titans’ HC vs Bears on Saturday. Vrabel will be assisting. Great exposure for Williams down the road for potential HC candidacy: pic.twitter.com/lQXfDXEL7J
— Teresa Walker 👑 (@TeresaMWalker) August 7, 2023
In addition to his expanded role on the sidelines this weekend, Williams will also handle all media duties as a head coach starting Friday before Vrabel re-assumes his usual role on Sunday.
An NFL assistant since 2012, Williams, a former nose guard at East Carolina, is entering his sixth season with the Titans, and 26th year as a coach overall. After spending 13 years in the collegiate ranks, Williams joined the Raiders staff from 2012 to ’14 before working for the Dolphins from ’15 to ’17.
