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Legendary defensive coordinator reportedly out in Tennessee

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There haven’t been many folks who crafted better defenses than Dick LeBeau.

But now, one of the most legendary careers in the history of the NFL may be coming to a close.

The Titans’ defensive coordinator was informed Monday that he won’t be returning to the Titans next year under new head coach Mike Vrabel.

LeBeau just wrapped up his 59th consecutive year in the league, as a hall of fame player, head coach and coordinator.

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A source close to LeBeau told The Tennessean that the coach would “be comfortable retiring if it doesn’t work out in Tennessee.”

The 80-year old was a fifth-round selection in the 1959 NFL draft, but was cut during training camp.

He then signed with Detroit, where he played 14 years, piling up 62 interceptions, 10th in league history.

In 1984, he became Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator, a role he held for eight seasons, before defecting to Pittsburgh.

LeBeau returned to the Bengals after two seasons, and was promoted to head coach in the middle of the 2000 season.

His success as a coordinator did not translate, however, as he compiled a 12-33 record in a little more than two years on the sideline.

Following his dismissal, LeBeau went back to run Pittsburgh’s defense, where he helped bring the Steelers back to their glory.

His “zone blitz” has been copied around the NFL, and Pittsburgh won two Super Bowls during his 13-year run.

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In 2010, he was inducted as a player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Once Mike Mularkey got the head coaching job in Tennessee, he brought in LeBeau to run his defense.

But Mularkey was fired last week after an embarrassing playoff loss to New England and replaced by Vrabel, who will be introduced this week.

It’s not too often that a Hall of Fame player is actually better as a coach, but it’s also not common to see someone spend 59 years doing what he loves. If LeBeau does indeed retire, he certainly will have earned it.

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Mike is an 11-time Michigan Emmy Award winner who has spent nearly 30 years working in sports media.
Mike has spent nearly 30 years in all aspects of sports media, including on-air, 10 at ESPN and another 10 at Fox Sports Detroit. He now works as a TV agent, and lives with his family in West Bloomfield, MI.
Birthplace
Sudbury, Massachusetts
Honors/Awards
11-time Michigan Emmy winner
Education
Emerson College
Books Written
The Longest Year: One Family's Journey Of Life, Death, And Love/If These Walls Could Talk: Detroit Tigers/If These Walls Could Talk: Detroit Lions
Topics of Expertise
Sports




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