Jason Wolf

USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

The No. 1 pick in the draft is for sale. For the right price.

The Titans are open to trading the top selection, general manager Jon Robinson said Monday during an introductory press conference at Saint Thomas Sports Park featuring team president and CEO Steve Underwood and head coach Mike Mularkey, who retains the permanent job despite a 2-7 record as interim coach.

“I can’t say with certainty that we are going to move the pick or that we’re not going to move the pick,” Robinson said, “but I think we’ll look at any and all offers that come this way and make a decision that’s best for the football team. If that means sticking and picking, we’ll stick and pick. If that means moving around and working the draft with trades, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Six external candidates interviewed for general manager before the Titans hired Robinson, a Union City, Tenn., native who spent 12 seasons with the Patriots and the last two as the Buccaneers’ director of player personnel. The Titans had an 18-46 record during Ruston Webster's four-year stint as GM, including a 5-27 mark the past two seasons.

Robinson, who will have control over the 53-man roster, was celebrating his 40th birthday and often grew emotional.

“If you only remember one thing from this presser, please remember this,” Robinson said. “And this goes out to our fans: This is my home. And you guys are my family. I’ve been a Titans fan ever since ’97 when this team moved here. We’re going to build this team the right way. All decisions that we make will be made in the best interest of this team. Your football team. Please let us earn your support.”

Four candidates interviewed for the head coaching position over a period of three days — two from outside the organization — before it was officially handed to Mularkey, who was long considered the front-runner for the permanent job. He received a three-year contract, according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations.

Titans coach Mike Mularkey wants faster, simpler offense

Mularkey, 54, is the 18th head coach in franchise history and the third since the organization parted ways with longtime coach Jeff Fisher in 2010. Mularkey originally interviewed for the head coaching position in 2011, when the Titans hired Mike Munchak, who lasted three seasons.

The Titans hired Ken Whisenhunt in 2014. Mularkey joined his staff as tight ends coach.

Mularkey was promoted from assistant head coach/tight ends when Whisenhunt was fired Nov. 3, after a 1-6 start to the season and 3-20 record overall.

Tennessee finished the season 3-13, tied for the worst record in the NFL.

Mularkey has an 18-39 record as a head coach, having gone 14-18 in two seasons with the Bills (2004-05), and 2-14 in his lone season with the Jaguars (2012). He has 21 years of NFL coaching experience, including eight as an offensive coordinator with the Falcons, Dolphins and Steelers.

Underwood had said an initial list of 155 coaching candidates was presented to team ownership, but on Monday clarified that “was an aggregation of virtually everyone in the league who might be available.”

Underwood said one GM candidate and no coaches turned down the Titans’ interview requests.

Underwood said Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk selected each candidate and was present in Nashville for “every word and every question of every interview.” But she was not at the press conference Monday, nor did she attend the NFL owners meetings last week in Houston, where she lives, ostensibly to focus on the hiring process though no interviews were conducted at that time. She’ll be at the owners’ meetings in March, Underwood said.

Interviews for head coach began Thursday, once Underwood returned from the owners’ meetings. Robinson agreed to a deal in principle that day.

“Amy had listened to interviews with candidates for head coach over several days,” Underwood said. “We added one candidate at the last minute. Somewhere during that process, I think it coalesced for Amy and she had made the decision. She already knew Mike, she had a comfort level with Mike, but she wanted to reach out and look around and make sure that there was not any other viable candidates for her, in terms of our club and where we were going.”

As to fans uncomfortable with the hiring process?

“Well I’m not really sure how they can be uncomfortable with either of the processes,” Underwood said. “We interviewed six highly qualified people to be general manager. That was after making a list that was significantly larger than that, having discussions with a number of people in and out of the league about GM candidates.

“With respect to our head coaching candidates, you know, there was already a pretty good working knowledge of Mike,” he said. “We interviewed Mike once before to be a head coach, he had been our interim head coach for most of the season, and we interviewed three other highly qualified candidates. So I’m not really sure what discomfort level you’re talking about.”

Titans not worried about continued sale speculation

Mularkey acknowledged fans’ skepticism.

“I understand their feelings completely,” Mularkey said. “All I ask is they give us a chance."

On Saturday, in a prepared statement from the team, Strunk cited continuity for quarterback Marcus Mariota, selected last year with the second overall pick in the draft, as well as Mularkey's experience developing three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Ryan during his time with the Falcons, as factors in the team's decision to retain Mularkey as head coach.

“Amy did ask a lot of questions of Mike about … how he intended to develop Marcus, who we consider to be the centerpiece of our franchise,” Underwood said, “and it was no small factor, the fact that he is sort of a quarterback whisperer. … That was a leading factor in the decision to hire Mike.”

The first quarterback Mularkey mentioned developing in addition to Ryan was former Steelers QB Kordell Stewart.

The Titans' interview committee included Strunk, co-owner Kenneth Adams IV, Underwood and Robinson. Vin Marino, the team’s vice president of football administration, took part in the search for a GM.

The Titans were the final NFL team to name a head coach, after vacancies had been filled by the Buccaneers, Browns, Dolphins, Eagles, 49ers and Giants.

Mularkey stressed the Titans would be a different team under his stewardship.

“I learned a lot the last nine weeks of the season,” Mularkey said. “I saw a lot. I saw things that needed to be changed. I couldn’t change them. I can now. You’ll see that in a number of areas.”

The alterations begin with the coaching staff.

Offensive coordinator Jason Michael, who called plays after Whisenhunt departure, will transition to quarterbacks coach.

Three candidates are being interviewed for offensive coordinator, Mularkey said, including Falcons wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie. The other candidates were not disclosed.

Dick LeBeau, the team’s assistant head coach/defense, is expected to return, Mularkey said.

Defensive coordinator Ray Horton was one of the four candidates to interview for head coach, along with Jaguars assistant head coach Doug Marrone and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.

Horton has asked out of his contract — Mularkey said the two had spoken Sunday morning and “that was part of the conversation” — and is expected to be named Browns defensive coordinator, as The Tennessean reported Sunday afternoon. Horton was granted permission to interview with the Browns this week, NFL Network reported Monday.

“There’s going to be changes,” Mularkey said. “It’s not the same old from last year — 2015 is over.”

Reach Jason Wolf at jwolf@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter at @JasonWolf and on Instagram at TitansBeat.

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