Mike Mularkey's head coaching legacy in the NFL is an odd one. He landed opportunities with three different franchises -- the Buffalo Bills from 2004-05, the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012, and then the Tennessee Titans from 2015-17. In five full seasons (he took over the Titans as an interim in 2015), he posted three winning records, but never lasted longer than two full seasons at any location.
And, finally, he was fired after his most successful season.
The 2017 Titans reached the AFC playoffs at 9-7, rallied from a 21-3 deficit to beat the pre-Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round, and then lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional round.
After that loss to New England, Mularkey knew he'd be fired. But he told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport he was going to be extended instead.
Do you remember @RapSheet reporting Mike Mularkey was going to get a contract extension from the #TitanUp but was fired instead? I think we might know why... @BrentASJax @A_Train_92 pic.twitter.com/2YlyRg7d2k
— BrentDanStuartMarcelAlivia (@ActionSportsJax) November 20, 2024
Mularkey spent one more season on the sidelines, coaching the Atlanta Falcons tight ends in 2019, while Tennessee moved on to Mike Vrabel, who took the Titans to the AFC Championship two seasons later.