Dick LeBeau ready to share knowledge with Titans

Dick LeBeau has pretty much done it all in the National Football League.

He's 77, and he's spent 56 of those years in the NFL, first as a player, then as a coach.

When LeBeau left the Steelers earlier this offseason, a small part of him considered hanging up the headset.

"You have to think about it,'' LeBeau said. "We all have only so many snaps in us."

A bigger part of him decided against the idea. The defensive wizard joined the Titans in February as assistant head coach/defense. He'll call the shots on the defensive side of the ball this fall. In his first interview since taking the job, LeBeau said he considers it his duty to spread the knowledge he's accumulated in time.

"After so many years, you attain a certain level of knowledge from experience, and amassed this over a tremendous amount of years of working on the job. If you don't continue to teach it, and if don't continue to administer what you have learned, then who benefits from it? No one,'' LeBeau said. "And if you are going to benefit you have to work and expose to other people your experience. If there is anything I have it's a lot of years of experience. And I am looking forward to sharing it and teaching it down here in Tennessee."

An NFL coach for 42 seasons after a Hall of Fame career as a player, LeBeau is best known for leading the defenses of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He said he enjoys coaching football, and helping his players be successful.

"I love doing it, I love teaching or I wouldn't still be doing it,'' he said. "And there will be plenty of time not doing it, because once you quit, it is forever. I am fortunate I have an opportunity. A lot of people probably wouldn't want a fella of my age working for them. So I intend to give it my hardest and best shot."

LeBeau spent the past 16 seasons with the Steelers, including 13 as defensive coordinator. In those 13 seasons, the Steelers finished in the top 15 in total defense 12 times, including 10 times in the top five and five times at No. 1.

In Pittsburgh, he was the architect of defenses that helped the Steelers win two Super Bowls.

When he parted ways with the Steelers earlier this offseason, Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt reached out to him. So did other teams. LeBeau said he felt a natural connection in Tennessee because of Whisenhunt, and other coaches he spent time with in the past in Pittsburgh, including Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton. LeBeau has also coached in the past with Titans defensive backs coach Louie Cioffi, and tight ends coach Mike Mularkey, among others.

With the Titans, LeBeau will be in charge of the defense, and Horton will work with him to implement it. Some have questioned how the relationship might work, considering it was Horton's defense a year ago.

LeBeau has no concerns. His history with Horton goes way back — he was responsible for drafting Horton to the Bengals while coaching in Cincinnati, and the two coached together for many years in Pittsburgh. There's mutual respect, LeBeau said.

"I have always worked as if everybody in the defensive room has a voice, and I want to hear everyone's opinion,'' LeBeau said. "And if we can't reach a consensus, then coach Ray and I will just make a determining factor and if there is ever a problem with that situation, which I don't foresee, then coach Whisenhunt would have to be the deciding factor — he's the boss.

"I think you have to have a power structure, and we'll work together and if there is something we can't resolve it will go to the head coach."

The Titans have some work to do to repair the defense.

A year ago, the Titans lost 14 of their final 15 games to finish 2-14.

Their defense ranked 27th overall in the NFL in 2014, including 31st against the run (137.2 yards per game). The Titans finished 29th in the league in points allowed after surrendering 26 points or more in 10 of 16 contests, and over 40 points on three occasions.

LeBeau has watched the film.

He was impressed with the effort a year ago, but knows things have to change.

Some steps have already been made. The Titans signed former Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo in free agency, and the team has added former 49ers cornerback Perrish Cox and former Bills safety Da'Norris Searcy. More players are expected to come in the draft, and later in free agency. The Titans also re-signed linebacker Derrick Morgan, who led the team with 6.5 sacks in 2014.

"Those were good acquisitions for us and retaining Derrick was a major move for us. You can never have too many good players,'' LeBeau said. "We have to do better, there's a lot of improvement to be made, but I was impressed with the way the defense put out. It was a tough year for everybody, but that happens in this league, it happens in this business. I was looking at the video and I was impressed with the team effort on defense throughout the season. … There's a lot of good, hard-working men who didn't have a lot of success last year, but we intend to correct that."

LeBeau said his message to his new players will be simple.

He wants to stay in the background and let them shine — together. LeBeau is known for having a close relationship with his players, and many of his former pupils with the Steelers have praised him since he was hired by Tennessee.

One of his nicknames: "Coach Dad."

"Defense is the ultimate team endeavor, and it's a matter of us, not me, and that is the message from day one,'' he said. "We have to be very unselfish, and very group oriented. We don't care who makes the play, we don't care who gets the credit, we just want to have a productive, competitive defense — collectively. That's the message."

His message to Whisenhunt is also clear: He'll retire a Titan, one day.

LeBeau signed a one-year deal with the team, which is the same strategy he took in the latter part of his career in Pittsburgh. He plans to coach as long as Whisenhunt wants him.

Or, until he decides it's just time.

"I am committed to Tennessee for the rest of my career. I am not looking for another job,'' LeBeau said. "Coach Whisenhunt hired me, and I am grateful for the opportunity. And I am not looking to coach any place else.

"We'll just see how coach Whisenhunt thinks it's going as we go along. Hopefully it goes well."

Reach Jim Wyatt at 259-8015 or on Twitter @jwyattsports