NASHVILLE – Titans General Manager Mike Borgonzi held a press conference on Tuesday to discuss a wide range of topics as the team's offseason begins.
The search for a new head coach is under way, and Borgonzi discussed that and more…
-Borgonzi led off the presser thanking everyone on the organization for their work during the 2025 season, from ownership to the coaches to the players, personnel staff, support staff, and the team's business staff as well.
-Borgonzi thanked the fans "for continuing to support us during a difficult season."
"No one likes losing, and it hurts," Borgonzi said. "It hurts because we care. We care about representing this franchise in the right way. We want to represent this city, this state, and this fan base. … I promise you this: We're going to do everything in our power to turn this thing as quickly as possible."
-Borgonzi said the team is going to attack the offseason through free agency and the draft, "and the first thing we have to do here is hire the right head coach, the right leader for this organization."
-Borgonzi neither confirmed nor denied reports of candidates scheduled to interview for the head coach job. Borgonzi said the team has spent a lot of time doing background research of coaches, from those who have been a head coach before, to those who would be a first-time head coach. "We look forward to bringing these guys in here," Borgonzi said, "and taking them through a thorough interview process."
-Borgonzi said there is no timetable for hiring the next head coach. He said he's not sure how many candidates will ultimately be interviewed.
"We just have to make the best decision for the team," he said. "As long as we have to do it to find the best person."
-Asked what qualities he's looking for in the next head coach, Borgonzi said: "It has a lot to do with leadership. It is having a clear vision, having standards for what you do, and then having that person not be afraid of conflict in a negative way, but being able to hold people accountable is the biggest thing, throughout the whole building, staff and players. And that person has to ultimately connect everybody in the building. … And they have to have a strategic vision in terms of philosophies and Xs and Os."
-Borgonzi said the team has done a lot of work on the candidates, and "we plan to bring in the right coach for this team long-term, that is going to work with us to grow this team, to get it better, to really instill a culture here. … We need a leader that is going to show up every day to work and really just instill that belief, instill the attention to detail, accountability that we need here, and the unity piece to bring everything together here. … The intention is to get a head coach in here that is going to be here for the long-term, and to win a lot of games."
-Asked about potential candidates he may have a prior working relationship with, Borgonzi siad it's important to "remove that biased opinion on anybody" and "you have to make the best decision for the organization. And that is really the bottom line: Who is going to be the best leader and coach of this organization?"
-Asked about the potential of retaining special teams coordinator John "Bones" Fassel, Borgonzi said it will ultimately be the new head coach's decision while saying Fassel did a tremendous job in 2025.
-Borgonzi said himself, President of Football Operations Chad Brinker, Assistant GM Dave Ziegler, Vice President/Football Advisor Reggie McKenzie and Vice President/Player Personnel Dan Saganey are on the search committee to find the next head coach.
-Borgonzi acknowledged quarterback Cam Ward went through a ton of adversity in his rookie season, "and he battled through it and he got better." Borgonzi said the coach the team is looking for on that side of the football, whether it's the head coach or the offensive coordinator, will be charged with helping Ward and all players develop more and "accentuate the strength of the players. … We're looking for someone who can really look at Cam and (say) 'This is what he does well, and this is what our receivers do well, this is what our running backs do well. That's what we are looking for."
-Borgonzi indicated quarterback Will Levis will have a role with the team in 2026. "He does," Borgonzi said. "I talked with Will just yesterday, and I've stayed in communication with him during his rehab. He is looking forward to getting back in here with the team." Borgonzi said Levis "is doing well, and he's healthy."
-Borgonzi praised interim head coach Mike McCoy for the work he did during the 2025 season. "He has done a tremendous job just holding this place together with his positivity. My working relationship with him every day has been seamless. He brought energy every day to the building, and he's detailed. I really thank him."
-Borgonzi believes the Titans are an attractive job because of the team's front office, and because of a young rookie quarterback who is ascending. He said the team has a young nucleus "you can build on." And, Jeff Simmons, 'Who wouldn't want to coach Jeff Simmons on defense? The city of Nashville, it's a great place to live. And we have a new stadium coming. So there's a lot of really good positive things to come here. … But the first thing is the people in the building and we have support from our ownership group. Amy (Adams Strunk) supports us in everything that we do here. … This will be a really attractive place for a coach."
