The Tennessee Titans announced Mike Vrabel as the new head coach of the franchise on Sunday. Vrabel was in pads for the Kansas City Chiefs as recently as 2010, and only coached one year as the defensive coordinator of the Houston Texans prior to getting the job. While his playing days are a testament to his leadership, dedication and intelligence, with such a short coaching resume, it is fair to be concerned about his knowledge of schemes.

Coaching linebackers, as he did for Ohio State and Houston is one thing, but as a head coach he will have to battle experienced tactical minds like Bill Belichick and Jon Gruden. As a source for his inspiration and ideas on playbook matters, Vrabel turned to the “farm system” that also feeds players to the NFL:

Related NewsArticle continues below
Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek (left) and coach Pete Carroll at press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders’ single best move in 2025 NFL offseason
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) makes a catch against the Baltimore Ravens in the third quarter in an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium.
Why Cowboys’ Dak Prescott is ‘excited’ to have George Pickens as new weapon
TCU wideout Jack Bech during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium.
1 Las Vegas Raiders rookie who stood out most in 2025 minicamp

Apart from the odd international player like Jarryd Hayne and Moritz Böhringer, the NCAA is the sole source for players for the NFL. While it is true that the game at both levels is essentially the same, the success each scheme finds at any level depends on the average athletic and mental profile at that level.

Case in point: a scheme such as the Wildcat, somewhat more commonly encountered on Saturdays, lasted only a few seasons at the NFL as essentially a gimmicky trick-play series. Others, like the Single Wing or Double Wing from the days of yore are staples in some high school programs.

As head coach, Mike Vrabel is expected to assess which systems will work for his young franchise quarterback Marcus Mariota, who thrived in college while running Oregon's spread system. Though the team will hire an offensive coordinator, Vrabel will no longer be asked to mind his defense and stay out of the offense's way; and Titans fans hope he improves himself in terms of establishing the offense as he builds his coaching skill set.