Legendary defensive coordinator reportedly out in Tennessee
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.
NFL legend Dick LeBeau, 80, likely "would be comfortable retiring" if not asked to return to #Titans next season, but taking "wait and see" approach, source tells @Tennessean https://t.co/lddFwidPmD
— Jason Wolf🐺🌵 (@JasonWolf) January 16, 2018
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.
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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