Jason Wolf

USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

It took just three days and four interviews.

Mike Mularkey, long considered the front-runner for the permanent job after leading the Titans to a 2-7 record as interim coach, was hired Saturday afternoon.

Mularkey interviewed for the position Friday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it was not a "short-term extension," according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations.

A press conference with Mularkey and new general manager Jon Robinson is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday.

Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton interviewed for the head coaching job Saturday and is expected to become defensive coordinator of the Browns. Only two external candidates were interviewed for the position — Jaguars assistant head coach Doug Marrone and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.

Titans offensive coordinator Jason Michael is not expected to be retained. Assistant head coach/defense Dick LeBeau is expected to remain with the team.

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, Steelers and Buccaneers.

Mularkey was promoted from assistant head coach/tight ends after Ken Whisenhunt was fired Nov. 3 with 3-1/2 seasons remaining on his contract. The Titans lost seven of their final eight games to finish with a 3-13 record, tied for the worst in the NFL, and secured the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Whisenhunt, who began the year 1-6, had a 3-20 record since he was hired in 2014, and has returned to his former job as Chargers offensive coordinator.

Titans controlling owner Amy Adams 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 him as head coach.

“The vision Mike presented for our football team during this search as well as the character, integrity, and leadership skills he displayed during the last two months of the season makes him the right coach for the Tennessee Titans,” Strunk said in a statement released by the team. “Mike is a quality coach and an outstanding person who will help us build this team the right way. He has experience as a head coach and a track record for developing young quarterbacks and dynamic offenses, and he also brings continuity for our franchise quarterback. We understand this may take time as we rebuild the roster and bring in new coaches for Mike’s staff, but we believe he has the experience and expertise to build a consistent winner.”

Mularkey is the 18th head coach in franchise history and the third since the organization parted ways with longtime coach Jeff Fisher in 2010.

Mariota's health a factor in Titans firing Whisenhunt

Mularkey, 54, would not agree to a short-term deal and did not consider himself a "one-year Band-Aid," according to a source with knowledge of his thinking, although that was the Titans’ initial plan, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

A short-term deal would have made it more difficult for the Titans to land quality assistant coaches.

The Titans' interview committee included Strunk, co-owner Kenneth Adams IV, president and CEO Steve Underwood and Jon Robinson, who was named the team's general manager Thursday. Interviews for the Titans' head coaching position began the same day. Robinson, a native of Union City, Tenn., replaced Ruston Webster, who was fired Jan. 4, the day after the regular-season finale. The Titans posted an 18-46 record during Webster's four-year stint as GM, including a 5-27 mark the past two seasons.

Robinson was the Buccaneers’ director of player personnel the last two seasons and spent the previous 12 years with the Patriots. It is unclear how much say he had in the Titans’ selection of a head coach. A person with knowledge of the interview process told The Tennessean that Robinson was hired, at least in part, because of his willingness to work with Mularkey.

“I am honored to be named the head coach of the Titans, and I want to thank Amy, Kenneth, Steve and Jon for this opportunity,” Mularkey said in a statement released by the team. “I will give all that I have to make this team successful and our city and fans proud. The last two months of the season were extremely valuable in order to understand our personnel and instill some of our values and standard of play, so we won’t be starting from scratch. With that as a basis, we will now be installing some new systems and bringing in new coaches and players to build on what we have started. There is plenty of work to be done until we reach our goal, but we will all work tirelessly to get us there.”

Mularkey wants and needs to replace a number of assistant coaches.

Horton is being pursued to become the Browns’ defensive coordinator. John Wooten, chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation, which promotes minority candidates, said Horton was overshadowed this season by LeBeau and that he has asked the team to let him out of his contract to join Hue Jackson’s staff in Cleveland.

Titans keep Mike Mularkey, fans on social media explode

Titans interview Mularkey, Austin for coach job; Horton next

Mularkey is also likely to select a new offensive coordinator to replace Michael.

Three Titans assistants from this past season have already joined other teams — defensive line coach Giff Smith was hired by the Chargers, wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson joined the Dolphins and special teams coach Nate Kaczor has been hired by the Buccaneers, The Tennessean confirmed, all of them making lateral moves.

The Titans will hire Bobby April as special teams coach, according to Fox Sports. April was on Mularkey's staff with the Bills. He was the NFL's special teams coach of the year in 2004 and '08 and recently was fired from the same position with the Jets.

The Titans are expected to keep LeBeau, linebackers coach Lou Spanos, assistant offensive line coach Mike Sullivan and assistant special teams coach Steve Hoffman, according to Fox Sports.

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 played tight end for nine seasons with the Vikings and Steelers after being selected by the 49ers in the ninth round of the 1983 draft. He played for legendary coaches Bill Walsh, Bud Grant and Chuck Noll before transitioning to coaching, and has served as an assistant on the staffs of Sam Wyche, Bill Cowher, Nick Saban, Cam Cameron, Mike Smith and Whisenhunt.

“After numerous discussions with Mike and consulting trusted colleagues throughout the league, I believe he is the right head coach to lead this Titans team,” Robinson said in a statement released by the team. “Mike’s attention to detail as well as his track record of building dynamic offenses while developing young quarterbacks such as Matt Ryan is impressive. Mike and I share an aligned vision of how to best proceed, and our goal is to build the Tennessee Titans into one of the elite organizations in the NFL.”

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

Titans, Bucs exec Jon Robinson agree to GM deal

MIKE MULARKEY

Coaching experience (18-39 overall record as head coach)

Tennessee Titans

- Head coach (2016)

- Interim head coach, 2-7 record (2015)

- Assistant head coach/tight ends (2015)

- Tight ends (2014)

Jacksonville Jaguars

- Head coach, 2-14 record (2012)

Atlanta Falcons

- Offensive Coordinator (2008-11)

Miami Dolphins

- Tight ends (2007)

- Offensive coordinator (2006)

Buffalo Bills

- Head coach, 14-18 record (9-7 in 2004, 5-11 in 2005)

Pittsburgh Steelers

- Offensive coordinator (2001-03)

- Tight ends (1996-2000)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

- Tight ends (1995)

Quality control (1994)

Concordia College

Offensive line (1993)



Playing experience:

Tight end

- Pittsburgh Steelers (1989-91)

- Minnesota Vikings (1983-88)