A surprising move happened on Thursday in the NFL when the Tennessee Titans and head coach Jeff Fisher announced they were parting ways. Fisher had been the Titans coach for the last 16 years, making him the longest-tenured coach in the league. The news would have been less shocking had it been announced weeks ago when most evaluations were being made. So if Fisher survived the evaluation and the team had decided on him over Vince Young, then what happened?
A report from John Clayton may provide insight into the news and timing of it.
Clayton was told that “one of the final disagreements that led to Fisher’s departure involved his son, Brandon. Fisher wanted to have his son on the staff as a quality control coach and thought it would be approved. Brandon Fisher helped out during the season while offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger was receiving cancer treatment.”
Apparently it was owner Bud Adams’ policy not to have family members hired to the staff and he reportedly stuck by that principle during their discussions. This report makes tons of sense because Fisher’s departure didn’t. Unless Fisher had another job lined up — which doesn’t seem like the case considering he says he’s tired and hints he wants a break — such a disagreement seems like something that could have led to them parting ways. I know I’d be plenty peeved if my team refused to hire my son.
