In a move that seemingly surprised most of the NFL, the Tennessee Titans fired head coach Mike Vrabel on Tuesday.
But while much of the fallout has focused on Vrabel’s future — the New England Patriots? Ohio State? — the Titans now also find themselves in the market for a new head coach.
As for who Vrabel’s successor in Tennessee will be, BetOnline has already released its first round of odds for the vacancy. At +300, Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald is the betting favorite to be the Titans’ next head coach, with the full odds released by the sportsbook as follows:
- Mike MacDonald +300
- Bill Belichick +400
- Bobby Slowik +500
- Ben Johnson +600
- Jim Harbaugh +700
- Eric Bieniemy +700
- Dan Quinn +850
- Lincoln Riley +900
For the uninitiated, a successful $100 wager on MacDonald would return a $300 profit, while a successful $100 bet on Bill Belichick would return a $400 profit and so on. So while MacDonald has the best odds of landing the Tennessee gig, he’s hardly a lock to do so, with his +300 odds equating to an implied 25 percent chance.
As for the rest of the list, it’s filled with coaches who are considered to be some of the top candidates in the upcoming coaching cycle, including Belichick, who has yet to part ways with the Patriots. With the Titans’ roster currently in a state of flux, it will be interesting to see who they hire — especially with Vrabel expected to quickly land elsewhere after being let go.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.