Titans miss out on hiring James Bettcher as defensive coordinator to replace Dick LeBeau

The Titans lost out on a second top assistant in as many days, when former Cardinals defensive coordinator James Bettcher chose to accept the same position with the Giants rather than joining Tennessee, NFL Network reported Tuesday night.

Bettcher met with Titans representatives Tuesday, while discussing football strategy over lunch with league coaches and front office personnel gathered for Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Ala., according to an NFL source. Titans coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Jon Robinson are among the team’s contingent in Mobile.

Bettcher, 39, had been the Cardinals' defensive coordinator since 2015 after serving as linebackers coach for two seasons.

The Cardinals ranked in the top six in yards allowed in each of his three seasons as defensive coordinator and were particularly stout against the run.

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Bettcher also coached linebackers for the Colts in 2012 after spending nine years as an assistant in the college ranks at Saint Francis (Ind.), Bowling Green, North Carolina, Ball State and New Hampshire.

Bettcher interviewed to become the Cardinals’ head coach after Bruce Arians retired, but Arizona hired former Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks as head coach Monday. Wilks is expected to hire Carolina assistant Al Holcomb as his defensive coordinator.

The Titans are searching for a defensive coordinator after deciding that Dick LeBeau would not return as a part of Vrabel’s staff, a team source told The Tennessean on Monday, hours before Vrabel was introduced as head coach. 

It's a busy week for the Titans, who are expected to replace every assistant from former coach Mike Mularkey's staff, with the possible exception of defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend, ESPN reported. Townsend, who played with Vrabel in Pittsburgh, has coached the Titans' secondary for two seasons.

Vrabel’s first choice for offensive coordinator, Ohio State assistant Ryan Day, will remain with the Buckeyes after being promoted to offensive coordinator, the school announced Tuesday. Day, who served as Chip Kelly's quarterbacks coach with the Eagles and 49ers, had been Ohio State's co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Reach Jason Wolf at jwolf@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter @JasonWolf and on Instagram and Snapchat at TitansBeat.