Titans request interviews with Chiefs assistants Matt Nagy and Eric Bieniemy for OC opening

The first two candidates for Tennessee’s vacant offensive coordinator job have been revealed

The Tennessee Titans have requested interviews with Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and senior assistant/quarterbacks coach Matt Nagy for their vacant offensive coordinator gig, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

The Titans fired ex-offensive coordinator Todd Downing last week. Bieniemy and Nagy are the first two candidates head coach Mike Vrabel has shown interest in. It also hints at the direction Vrabel may be interested in taking the offense in.

It indicates Vrabel is toying with the idea of changing Tennessee’s scheme. I thought that may be the case when offensive line coach Keith Carter was fired alongside Downing. Both Nagy and Bieniemy are Andy Reid disciples, and remain on Reid’s staff today. Tennessee has been a zone-based offense under Downing and Arthur Smith. Nagy and Bieniemy are well-versed in Reid’s west coast-style spread offense.

Bieniemy has been the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator since 2018. He’s been a front-runner for several head coaching gigs, but has routinely been passed over in favor of other candidates. Bieniemy recently interviewed for the Indianapolis Colts’ head coach opening, but isn’t expected to be a leading candidate.

It’s worth acknowledging the Titans are requesting an interview with Bieniemy for a lateral move, so the Chiefs could decline their request. It’s also worth noting that Bieniemy doesn’t actually call plays in Kansas City. Reid handles that responsibility. Bieniemy could possess interest in running his own offense in Tennessee.

Matt LaFleur once took the Titans’ offensive coordinator job despite holding the same role with the Los Angeles Rams because he didn’t call plays in L.A. It better positioned LaFleur as a head coaching candidate, and he eventually landed a lead job with the Green Bay Packers. Bieniemy could possess interest in following a similar path.

Matt Nagy is a veteran coach that once captured acclaim by serving as Reid’s offensive coordinator in Kansas City for two seasons (2016-17). Nagy then became the head coach of the Chicago Bears. He held that post for four seasons (2018-21), where he compiled an all-time record of 34-33. Nagy wasn’t popular with the Bears’ fanbase. His tenure in Chicago was unfortunately tied to first-round quarterback bust Mitchell Trubisky.

Nagy was fired at the conclusion of the 2021 campaign and returned to Reid’s staff this season as a senior offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach. Reid quickly welcomed Nagy back, which reflects his opinion of Nagy as a coach. Nagy would likely possess interest in climbing the coaching ladder and becoming an offensive coordinator again.