Titans Notebook: Owner keeps Mike Munchak, dismisses Mike Reinfeldt

Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams will retain coach Mike Munchak for the 2013 season but has fired Senior Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Mike Reinfeldt. In six seasons under Reinfeldt, the Titans went 52-44. QB Jake Locker will undergo surgery on his left, non-throwing shoulder next week.

Despite a 6-10 record, Titans coach Mike Munchak (right) learned Monday that he'll return for the 2013 season. (AP)

On a historic day in the NFL, when seven coaches and five general managers were relieved of their duties, Mike Munchak was retained as the Tennessee Titans’ head coach while Mike Reinfeldt was dismissed by owner Bud Adams.

Reinfeldt, who was hired by the Titans in 2007, served as the team’s Executive Vice President for five seasons before he was promoted to Senior Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer last January. Munchak expects to meet with Adams and GM Ruston Webster later this week to discuss the future of the organization after a tumultuous 6-10 season.

Munchak did not make any changes with the coaching staff on Monday and didn’t indicate if changes will be made after the meeting with the 89-year old team owner. Former offensive coordinator Chris Palmer was fired on Nov. 26, one day after a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars dropped the Titans to 4-7. Palmer was replaced by former quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains on an interim basis.

On defense, the Titans allowed a franchise-record for points in a single season with 471. After five weeks, the Titans had allowed 181 points and were on pace to break the 1981 Baltimore Colts’ NFL record for points allowed in a season (533). Munchak did not address whether defensive coordinator Jerry Gray will remain on the staff next season.

“You have to look at all those factors and decide, 'Do I make a change just to make a change or do we do it because a coach gives us a chance to be better?'” Munchak said. “You can’t just have a knee-jerk reaction.”

After recording 28 sacks in 2011, the Titans improved the total to 39 this season. Tennessee also dramatically improved its interception total from 11 to 19. In terms of points allowed per game, the Titans dropped from 8th to 32nd.

“Coach Gray is a good coach, he’s very knowledgeable,” CB Alterraun Verner said. “The team is going to do what they feel is necessary. I’m willing to support whatever the team does because I know they have our best interest at heart.”

Munchak ended his second season as the Titans’ head coach on Sunday with a 38-20 win over the Jaguars. When Munchak replaced former Titans coach Jeff Fisher on Feb. 7, 2011, he became just the seventh Hall of Fame player in league history to enter the head coaching ranks. After a promising 9-7 season in 2011, the Titans entered this year with playoff aspirations. Those quickly faded after a 1-4 start, in which Tennessee lost all four games by at least three touchdowns.

Of the six Hall of Fame players to become head coaches in the league, only Mike Ditka and Raymond Berry finished their coaching careers with a winning percentage above 52.0. Ditka opened his coaching tenure with an 11-14 record (44 percent) in his first two seasons before he compiled a 62-17 regular season record over the next five years and won Super Bowl XX. Only former San Francisco coach Mike Singletary failed to last beyond two seasons as a head coach.

The Titans struggled to comprehend the complexities of Palmer’s offense, which was predicated on the heavy usage of option-routes. The routes required a receiver to read the coverage presented before breaking on a pattern. If a quarterback and a receiver weren’t on the same page, turnovers could add up quickly.

In six games under Palmer, Locker had seven touchdowns, four interceptions and a 59.2 completion percentage. In the final five games of the season after Loggains assumed control of the offense, Locker had three touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 53.1 completion percentage. Locker was hamstrung by a makeshift offensive line that had five different starting lineups in the last five weeks. Munchak is optimistic that Locker’s production will improve next season as he continues to gain experience.

“I think going forward, what we’ll ask him to do and some of the things that Dowell is starting to do are taking the gray out of the (offense),” Munchak said. “There’s times in games we’ll look real good, and then the production wasn’t there.”

Hours after news broke of Munchak’s return, Locker appeared pleased with Adams’ decision.

“I think he is a great football coach,” Locker said. “I’m excited to spend another year with him because I think he’s going to have this thing in the right direction.”

Locker to undergo surgery: Locker said Monday that he expects to undergo surgery next week on his non-throwing, left shoulder. The second-year quarterback first suffered the injury in Week 1 when he attempted to make a tackle on Patriots S Patrick Chung. Locker then re-injured it in Week 4 at Houston when he took a blindside hit by Texans DB Glover Quin.

The injury sidelined Locker for five weeks. The surgery will be performed by Titans doctor Burton Elrod. Locker is optimistic he’ll be able to return by OTAs.

“We’re hoping that is something where he’s able to do most of the work in the spring,” Munchak said.

Titans sign five to futures contracts: The Titans agreed to terms on futures contracts with WR Diondre Borel, DT Zach Clayton, DE Thaddeus Gibson, S Suaesi Tuimaunei and TE Martell Webb on Monday. Each of the five players spent time on the Titans’ practice squad this season.

Clayton, a 6-2, 299 pound defensive tackle, appeared in three games in his rookie season in 2011. Clayton was beaten out in training camp by DT DaJohn Harris for one of the final spots on the 53-man roster.

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Tennessee Titans, follow Matt Rybaltowski @CBSTitans.