NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Titans head coach Mike Munchak has filled his second coordinator job by hiring Chris Palmer, a former head coach with the Cleveland Browns who spent last season coaching in the UFL.
The Titans announced the hiring Tuesday afternoon, shortly before Munchak was due to introduce his new defensive coordinator Jerry Gray.
Munchak said in a statement through the team that he talked to a number of candidates and that Palmer fits what he wanted.
"Chris has a wealth of experience as a coordinator and a coach,'' Munchak said. "He is a great teacher of the game and has been around a variety of good coaches and winning football programs. He has helped develop many good quarterbacks and understands what that process is like, as he raised their games to a high level over time.''
That quality is very crucial for the Titans who plan to either release or trade Vince Young this offseason after five seasons with the franchise. The Titans want to draft a new quarterback and likely add a veteran as well.
Palmer spent last season as head coach of the United Football League's Hartford Colonels.
But he was head coach of the Browns for two seasons as an expansion franchise in 1999-2000, and he also spent seven seasons in the AFC South as offensive coordinator with Jacksonville and Houston. He helped Mark Brunell post his highest passer rating of his career in 1997 at 91.2, and he was the first coordinator for the Texans as an expansion franchise working with David Carr.
He was quarterbacks coach with the New York Giants between 2007 and 2009 working with Eli Manning, including their Super Bowl run when Manning was named the game's MVP.
Palmer worked with Bill Parcells with the New England Patriots between 1993 and 1996 as wide receiver coach and quarterback coach. He started working in the NFL with the then-Houston Oilers as the wide receiver coach between 1990 and 1992 - when Munchak was still a player for the franchise.
They've known each other for 21 years, and Palmer called Munchak an outstanding player and terrific coach.
"I am excited to be joining the staff. Offensively, I am very impressed with the personnel they already have in place, but it doesn't matter what level you are talking about - high school, college, pro - you are only going to be as good as your quarterback, and that will be something we work on,'' Palmer said.
Palmer also was head coach at Boston University and New Haven in the college ranks. He even spent two years as an offensive coach for the USFL's New Jersey Generals and a year with the Montreal Concordes of the Canadian Football League.
