Winning apparently doesn’t cure all. Fresh off overcoming a 21-3 halftime deficit to take out the Kansas City Chiefs Saturday night, Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Mularkey critiqued his organization’s handling of his future as head coach.
When asked how the talk about his job security impacted him, the head coach didn’t hold back.
“I don’t think it’s fair for my family,’ Mularkey said, via NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero. “And if it has an effect on my family, it has an effect on me. So yeah, I’d say it had a big effect on me.”
Reports surfaced earlier on Saturday that Mularkey might be fired if his Titans were to lose to the Chiefs.
The #Titans are in the playoffs, but coach Mike Mularkey’s job is not safe. Sources say a loss could end his tenure, as the team prepares for a run at #Patriots OC Josh McDaniels. Big game today with multiple ramifications.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 6, 2018
These reports were in no way denied by any member of the organization, general manager Jon Robinson included.
Asked whether he felt safe regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s AFC Wildcard game against Kansas City, Mularkey failed to answer in the affirmative. In fact, his words were about as strong as it gets.
“No I haven’t had any support to say that I was, so, no, I just assumed the worst.”
That’s no way to go about coaching a playoff game. Now that Tennessee will advance to the divisional round to take on either New England or Pittsburgh, Mularkey’s job appears to be safe.
Well, that’s assuming he wants to continue on without the support of his organization.