Norm Chow Fired as Tennessee Titans Offensive Coordinator

by Jimmy on Jan 15, 2008 1:25 PM CST in News Comment 43 comments

ESPN.com is reporting that Norm Chow has been fired as the Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator. This is a day that a lot of us have been waiting for. Hopefully the Titans will get a coordinator that will use the Vince Young to his strengths instead of trying to force him into an offense. My first call would be to Mike Heimerdinger because of the success he had with Steve McNair. I would call Cam Cameron after that.

Update [2008-1-15 15:57:52 by Jimmy]: The Tennessean is reporting that Norm Chow received a call from Jeff Fisher informing him he was fired. From the linked article:

"I’m as shocked as the next guy,’’ Chow said Tuesday. "He said he wanted to go in a different direction."

"I don’t know what I am going to do,’’ Chow said. "I’m disappointed. I didn’t see this coming. No one had said a word about any of this until all of a sudden … I made a lot of good friends there.’’

Asked if he thought the next offensive coaching staff could make things work with quarterback Vince Young, who threw nine touchdowns and 17 interceptions last season, Chow replied: "Obviously Jeff didn’t think that I could. I thought I was. That’s the thing. I don’t know… but it’s going to take some patience.’’

Here is what Fisher said in his statement:

"Over the last week, we have done a lot of self-evaluation and I think we still have work ahead of us to reach our ultimate goal. I have informed Norm that he will not be retained as our offensive coordinator. I appreciate all of the hard work and contributions he made to the organization during his time here, but I have decided to go in a different direction and will start the process of finding a new offensive coordinator. We wish Norm and his family the best in their future endeavors."

It is a shame that Fisher did it over the phone. You would hope that he would take the time to sit down and talk with Norm about it. It will be interesting to see if the Titans hire someone else quickly and that is why Fisher had to get Norm out right away. Stay tuned....

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Woops

Looks like I posted the same thing just a minute after you.

Anyhow, this is good news. There is no way to win championships with an offense as mediocre as the one we had last year.

by SuperHorn on Jan 15, 2008 1:29 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

make that a triple post

Jimmy - please delete my diary

by TrenchantTitan on Jan 15, 2008 1:31 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

A big message

I think this says a lot about who is at fault for some of our offensive problems.

by theologic on Jan 15, 2008 1:33 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for posting that stuff anyways

Titans Blogger at Music City Miracles

by Jimmy on Jan 15, 2008 1:35 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Cam Cameron??

Go Titans!

by gramsey712 on Jan 15, 2008 1:56 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

How about

re-uniting Vince with Greg Davis, his OC at Texas. . .

Major Applewhite is in Austin today interviewing for an open position at UT. . .

could UT bring in Major as OC and ship out GD to the Titans?

by texaslonghorn on Jan 15, 2008 1:57 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I Vote

Hiemerdinger! I would also go Cameron with our 2nd call.

As for Greg Davis, I would rather see a proven NFL OC.

This is a very happy day for me. I really thought the Titans might try to go another year with Chow, maybe thinking we needed some more weapons. This shows they are making a concerted effort at all levels to win.

by Big Bad Bulluck on Jan 15, 2008 2:10 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Greg Davis

is a fucking moron. I don't care if he's already won with Vince.

by longtitan on Jan 15, 2008 2:12 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I agree with BBB.

We need a proven NFL winner. Vince has plenty of talent. But that offense they were running... I mean, maybe it would have worked with a different set of players, but it just wasn't getting it for the Titans. It was wacky-ass play-calling all year long and no adjustments after half-time. We just cannot have that.

DannoE

Go read FRIDAY MAD SCIENCE at www.paperbackreader.com
Thanks!

by DannoE on Jan 15, 2008 2:22 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what a great day.....

praise the good lord....

now go find the brightest most brilliant young mind that specializes in the shotgun spread and let's actually use vince correctly

by zackmann on Jan 15, 2008 2:22 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

It's awesome that Fisher took the chance to get...

a better guy, though! God knows there are better offensive guys than Chow out there now.

DannoE

Go read FRIDAY MAD SCIENCE at www.paperbackreader.com
Thanks!

by DannoE on Jan 15, 2008 2:35 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Wow...

Bud didn't even give him a graceful exit. He must have really sucked in Bud's eye.

Go Titans!

by Pinoy Titan on Jan 15, 2008 2:39 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Bud probably got tired of hearing how...

...it was all VY's fault. Especially when Bud can look back just a few years and see McNair in his prime winning the NFL MVP award. Bud sees a guy who is: 1) already a proven National Champion, 2) already in very tight with his last franchise QB (who was also very successful despite being both black and athletic), and 3) already shown he can lead the offense under some very adverse circumstances, and he thinks... "What the Hell is wrong with Norm Chow that he can't win with MY GUY?"

And I gotta agree. When LenDale White is averaging 5 or 6 yards/carry and we suddenly call a 4-yard pass (that everybody in the stadium is expecting) on 3-and-4 to lose unnecessarily to San Diego... well, that was a bad call in a bad spot. I got no issue with it costing Norm his job.

I hope Norm Chow does really well at Hawaii, but honestly, how hard is it to run the play-action pass and the bootleg?

DannoE

Go read FRIDAY MAD SCIENCE at www.paperbackreader.com
Thanks!

by DannoE on Jan 15, 2008 2:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Hawaii?

eh? wha? when where what happened there? I know June is gone... but Chow in Hawaii?

(Rock n Roll Titans!)

by palpacino on Jan 15, 2008 5:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It's just a rumor.

But unless Chow decides to take a year off, he has a good shot of landing there. Or as the O-Coordinator at UCLA.

Still, the Titans are going to honor his contract, which means two more years at $1 million each (w/out working), so he could afford to contemplate his navel for a year. And next year there're bound to be some more openings in the NFL. It's not like Norm is terrible or anything.

DannoE

Go read FRIDAY MAD SCIENCE at www.paperbackreader.com
Thanks!

by DannoE on Jan 16, 2008 6:54 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

wow

I was thinking the same thing. They didn't give him a chance to resign.

by theologic on Jan 15, 2008 3:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

honestly

I hate it for Norm, but I could give a damn how it was done... at least he didn't get escorted-out of the facility like Steve did.

It ain't Jeff's fault Norm called VY a pouter to national press guys. Don't doubt how much that counted to VY, Bud and Jeff.

My name is August West, and I love my Pearly Baker best, more than my wine

by August West on Jan 15, 2008 3:20 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I was thinking that, too.

And Norm is the only one acting hurt to the press. Fisher and VY both issued reasonable press releases about it.

DannoE

Go read FRIDAY MAD SCIENCE at www.paperbackreader.com
Thanks!

by DannoE on Jan 16, 2008 6:55 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

shotgun spread

Shotgun Spread!

by zackmann on Jan 15, 2008 3:30 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Hey Zack!

I think we should try some sort of shotgun formation and spread out the offense--Your thoughts?

Go Titans!

by gramsey712 on Jan 15, 2008 3:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

great idea

by zackmann on Jan 15, 2008 4:08 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

PISTOL

Does anyone know about the pistol offense?

Seems a good compromise.

I assume it would work a lot better with an athletic quarterback than with the guys U Nevada try it with...

by willchance on Jan 15, 2008 5:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Norm

Norm is a great mind and a great OC. He just was not the guy for this job! VY needs a special kind of OC and Chow was just to set in his ways. I am glad we are going a different way and wish Chow the best!!!

Someone once said "Vince Young bleeds two toned blue!" But I disagree, because The Great One Doesnt Bleed!!

by Vincanity on Jan 15, 2008 3:41 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

greg davis

no
no
no

take it from a longhorn

by gotitans86 on Jan 15, 2008 4:02 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

dinger likely to be new OC...

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jan/15/titans-might-pursue-broncos-top-offensive-aide/

how crazy will it be if dinger and gregg williams both land back in TN....

by zackmann on Jan 15, 2008 4:15 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

A lot of speculation at this point....

....but that would make me extremely happy. The mainstream guys are saying that Vince and Dinger would clash.

Titans Blogger at Music City Miracles

by Jimmy on Jan 15, 2008 4:24 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

i too

think that dinger and vince would clash....

this hire is extremely important....

by zackmann on Jan 15, 2008 4:28 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

What if

Number 9 was there to ease the transition between his "son" and his old OC?

QB Coach anyone?

Oh--the daydreams of the offseason.

Go Titans!

by gramsey712 on Jan 15, 2008 6:01 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

They might not clash.

Heimerdinger got along with McNair. I assume he can get along with VY. I mean, Fisher gets along with VY, so it's not like it's impossible or anything.

Maybe Young was just so incredibly frustrated that the Offense was ill-suited to him and that the receivers never seemed to understand their routes that he was going crazy. I mean, despite what Mawae said, I honestly don't think it's the QB's fault that the wrong folks were showing up to the huddle and/or that the plays called weren't right for the Defenses the Offense was seeing. In the NFL, all that stuff is supposed to be handled by coaches. They even have commo in the QBs helmet so he can get the plays.

DannoE

Go read FRIDAY MAD SCIENCE at www.paperbackreader.com
Thanks!

by DannoE on Jan 16, 2008 6:58 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

did

i say it or did i say it? sings, bing bong the witch is dead the witch is dead the witch is dead.

by dentureboy on Jan 15, 2008 4:54 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

singing it again

bing bong the witch is dead the witch is dead the witch is dead. bing bong the witch is dead the witch is dead the witch is dead. sorry norm but it was your time rsp!

by dentureboy on Jan 15, 2008 4:56 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Did I miss something?

Why do you guys think Dinger and VY would clash?

My name is August West, and I love my Pearly Baker best, more than my wine

by August West on Jan 15, 2008 6:43 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

cool

I am ecstatic that they aren't wasting any time at all addressing the sucky-ness of the offense this season. Now is the time to make this kind of move because there are lots of good candidates still floating around.

I'm sorry Norm had to get the axe over the phone and without some fore-warning (no chance to resign), but:

on an NFL scale, it's still a pretty polite firing.
when you have a QB with a 60% completion percentage and 9 touchdown passes, if I'm the offensive coordinator, I expect to be fired. The blame for that is probably not going on the QB, it's going on coaching staff. Unless the head coach looks vulnerable to firing (which Fisher aint) in that situation if I'm the OC I'm very nervous. If you look at teams in the past few seasons that finished last in touchdown passes (like 7 for the Raiders in the 2006 season), the offensive coordinator is ejected the next season. It shouldn't have been a surprise for Norm.

Good luck to Norm in his upcoming interviews, and can't wait to see who the Titans interview!

by numbertenox on Jan 15, 2008 6:51 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

in a lot of ways

the offensive coordinator is the fall guy. i have been hoping that chow would get a job elsewhere, i'm glad he is going a different direction. but with the receivers we have, he didn't have a lot to work with. i hope the new guy can use vy to his best ability. good luck norm, thanks for your work with the titans!

by gotitans27 on Jan 15, 2008 7:38 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I was reading a Broncos fan opinion on a site,

and he wanted Chow to come and replace Dinger. Wow, is he uninformed. He even called the Titans front office "boneheads" for releasing such a great offensive mind, Chow.

Actually, now that I think about it, Chow could probably succeed with Cutler, or atleast better than Vince.

But he thought that he did a great job with the Titans, that's where he was mistaken.

How easy do you think it will be for Chow to find another job, specifically in the NFL. I'm sure he could get a job tomorrow at Hawaii, but is there any chance he could be an OC or a QB Coach in the NFL next year. I would definitely think so considering he has been in some head coaching mixes. But, he's getting kind of old.

Whatever, not our problem anymore. Sorry Chow, but you had to go. VINCE IS FREE!

by nvemvp23 on Jan 15, 2008 8:45 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Pistol offense -- a great call!!!

of course they need to spend some of their cap room on a good WR, and try and move up in the draft to get Jackson or Manningham

by willyb on Jan 15, 2008 9:09 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

new rumor

mike munchak to be new OC

by zackmann on Jan 16, 2008 12:40 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I hope like Hell that Vince has another great ...

...year next year, so we can stop with all these comparisons to Mike Vick.

The fact is that VY and the offense always looked at least completely competent in the first drive of every game, but then when defenses made adjustments, Chow couldn't counter-adjust. We saw that EVERY DAMN TIME except with the worst of the worst teams (ie: KC and New Orleans).

Whoever they bring in, if that person understands the NFL game and the need to counter-adjust, we'll be MUCH better off.

DannoE

Go read FRIDAY MAD SCIENCE at www.paperbackreader.com
Thanks!

by DannoE on Jan 16, 2008 7:04 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

You're right on it

D--I don't think our guys just forgot how to play football after the first series of every game!

Go Titans!

by gramsey712 on Jan 16, 2008 7:53 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

i

feel sorry for chow and all but if he was blindsided by his firing after such a lack luster offesive this year dosnt that make you think hes not all that self aware? i mean if your offesive cant score points wouldnt you be looking over your sholder like maybe iam going to be fired cus of it. chow was in totall suprise and maybe if he couldnt see that comming he cant see defesive scheems and have any insight into his role of making a offesne work to score points.
i mean if you cant see your potential firing after the offense did what it did this year you need to wake up and come back to reality. we dont need anybody coaching our offense that is so unaware of their soroundings that they are caught by suprise when they are let go due to lack of performace.
all and all it will be good for both sides. chow can go do his thing and fisher can get a fresh start with somebody new. iam all for dinger to come back.
if it were me i would make it a preresuite that the next oc will have to be on the sidelines. the way chow did it he might as well been on a different planet when he was stuck up in the booth. he needed to have some face to face with his players and get in their face a little bit also to install some urgency in the players to score more points. made it seem like he wasnt part of the team in some weird way being stuck up there.
kevin gilbright i would be also happy with. he knows how to spread the offense out and work out of the shootgun. he ran the run and shoot and knows full well how to use vince i would think.

by dentureboy on Jan 16, 2008 9:15 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

New Offensive Coordinator

It is Heimerdinger (he and fisher know each other and the titans are on an upward trend while Denver is going down).

Cam Cameron, Mike Martz - there are a host of good offensive coordinators out there. Jim Fassel is an option (he got fired by Billick but we see what the real problem was).

No worries. Glad we are trying something new. i think a sense of failure had set in with the offense and the d was probably tired of it so it gives everybody the sense that we are going forward.

by hofnar on Jan 16, 2008 9:18 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Martz got hired in San Francisco

Titans Blogger at Music City Miracles

by Jimmy on Jan 16, 2008 9:20 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

But Fassel is a good coach.

He had a lot of great years with the Giants and has run plenty of successful Offenses. I'd prefer to see Heimerdinger, but you're right. There are a lot of good potential candidates out there.

DannoE

Go read FRIDAY MAD SCIENCE at www.paperbackreader.com
Thanks!

by DannoE on Jan 16, 2008 9:37 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs