What next for Tennesee?

Saying only that the Tennessee Titans and he had reached a point where it was 'Time to move on', Jeff Fisher was relieved of his duties as head coach Thursday night. Fisher was the only coach the franchise had during it's tenure in Tennessee, guiding them from their days as the Houston Oilers and through four different stadiums in four years before they settled in their present location.

The move came as a surprise, shocking assistant coaches and players alike. Given the heavily publicized feud, and subsequent banishment of Vince Young, it appeared that Fisher's hold upon his position was secure. Declining to address specifics, Fisher did acknowledge that differences did exist within the team, and factored into this decision.

Fisher did a number of good things for the Titans/Oilers franchise. He led them to their only Super Bowl appearance, brought them into the playoffs numerous times, and helped to insure a smooth transition from Houston to Tennessee. However, he had five different losing streaks of five games over the past seven seasons, had not won a playoff game since 2004, and had a career record of only 142-120.

For all intents, Fisher is a decent coach who is capable of keeping a team around .500, but isn't going to bring the team to the next level. Perhaps this is due to not ever having a legitimate standout quarterback (sorry, but VY, Kerry Collins, and Steve McNair don't count). Perhaps he is viewed differently if Kevin Dyson is able to get that extra yard in the Super Bowl. But Fisher has had the number one seed in the playoffs four times, and has only managed a 2-4 record in that situation. Maybe he just isn't that good.

If Fisher wants another coaching job, he will get it. Regardless of his record or capabilities, he is regarded as a big name amongst coaches. If he gets the urge to coach again, expect to see the Tom Selleck mustache and dark glasses on the sidelines again. Just don't expect anything better than being .500.

In the end, this is a good move for Tennessee, as Fisher's time there was definately at it's end. It will be an even better move if they manage to convince either Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden to take the job. Either way, this is a fresh start for a franchise that needed a new voice.