Former Titans coaching candidates: Defense/ST

The Titans have a very brief history, so trying to do this without dipping into the "Oiler-pool" was tough. My criteria for a coaching candidates were:

1. Must have played with the Titans at some point in their career.

2. A player that played exclusively with the Oilers cannot be a candidate, but a player that played at least one year with the Titans is acceptable.

3. A player can be considered whether they are active or retired.

4. This list isn't based on production alone, it also factors in football IQ, temperament, work ethic, poignancy, and technical skills.

5. If their were two players close to getting a job, the one that loses the head to head contest will be named the "assistant" to that position.

This is the list for the defensive coaches.

DL coach: Jevon Kearse

Kearse was one of the most entertaining players to watch during his early stint with the Tennessee Titans. The "freak" had elite anticipation and "get-off" both of which he could train a defensive line to do. While the line might not have his length, speed, or strength just having that anticipation would make them much tougher to block. He also would probably employ a wide-nine defense to maximize the effectiveness of that jump.

LB coach: Keith Bulluck

Keith Bulluck is one of the undisputed "all-decade" Titans of the 2000s in my opinion. Bulluck was a leader on the field and he knew how important communication was between all the defensive players on the field. He was the glue that held the Titans elite defenses of the mid-2000s together and he would be a great teacher to anyone smart enough to listen.

DB coach: Cortland Finnegan

Finnegan is the best defensive back that the Titans have had, I know it is sad (because he is gone) but it is true. Imagine an entire defense of speedy guys with exceptional technique that got under the skin of WRs for an entire season (basically the Seahawks defensive backs). That is exactly what Finnegan would look to create and teams would struggle to keep their cool under such intense mental pressure.

Defensive Coordinator: Keith Bulluck

Bulluck has to pull double duty here as both the LB coach and the DC. As my top Titans defender in almost every category, there was no way that Bulluck wouldn't end up as the DC it is just a shame that the Titans didn't have any other top-notch LBs to help him at that position.

Bulluck screams 4-3 Tampa 2 scheme to me. He would have his defensive backs playing a lot of zone coverage and he would task his rangy MLB to take away the middle of the field. This defense would allow Kearse's DL to force quick throws that Finnegan's DBs would contest on every pass.

Special Teams coach: Rob Bironas

During his prime Bironas was the most important piece of the game plan for the Titans. Tennessee knew that they could hold defenses to ~17 points, but with Vince Young at QB they were left scratching their heads when they thought about who could put up points consistently. Enter Bironas.

If Bironas could put his mind and confidence into the body of a young kicker with a strong leg then he could give the Titans a boost on special teams for another decade.

Assistant: Craig Hentrich

Hentrich was a close second, but Bironas has just a slightly more impressive resume.

BONUS: Strength and conditioning coach: Kyle Vanden Bosch

VDB's relentless motor often made him a favorite among coaches and fans. In fact on more than one occasion either coaches or players have publicly talked about VDB commenting on how great he was to have in workouts because of his intensity and ability to pump others up.