It was only a few days ago that Matt Nagy had a clear path toward being an NFL head coach for the second time. The Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator had spent the previous three months linked with the Tennessee Titans' job opening, and three other teams had also called after the conclusion of the regular season. The Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, and Las Vegas Raiders all showed interest in Nagy, even as he remained a frontrunner in Nashville.
Now, however, the outlook has changed considerably.
The firing of head coaches like Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland, Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh, Sean McDermott in Buffalo, Mike McDaniel in Miami, and John Harbaugh in Baltimore has created a wave of qualified applicants in the last week or more. Suddenly, what looked like a rather thin crop of head coaching hopefuls at the start of the offseason has turned into a deeper well of options with proven success and longevity at the NFL level.
The Titans appeared to be zeroing in on Nagy for most of the fall. Most recently, he was named one of three finalists for the head coaching job and that before of them, Kevin Stefanski, took a new gig with the Atlanta Falcons. Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley was the other finalist, but the Miami Dolphins were reportedly looking at him as a frontrunner.
A sudden surge of fired head coaches has complicated what once looked like a clear path for Matt Nagy to land the Titans’ job.
Then came reports on Monday of the Titans' continued interest in other candidates. ESPN reporter Adam Schefter said that former NFL head coach Mike McCarthy had gotten a second interview in Tennessee. Robert Saleh, defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, has been mentioned as another option as well. Rumors that the Titans were down to their last interviewee proved false with the latest rumors.
All of this is bad news for Nagy, even as it doesn't necessarily disqualify him from contention. Remember, Nagy was a head coach himself with the Chicago Bears for four seasons and finished his stint there with a winning record of 34-31 despite leaning on Mitchell Trubisky as his quarterback (among other uninspired options).
If the Titans are intent on raising the floor of a franchise that's lingered in last place for three consecutive seasons, then Nagy can help in that regard. They seem to appreciate a veteran voice. However, it also appeared that the job was likely his for the taking. Instead, the field has become much more crowded as NFL teams hit the reset button, which means the Titans might not be done shopping after all. That makes things a lot dicier for Nagy going forward.