Titans President & CEO Steve Underwood yesterday said that the team will "continue to work with the NFL about its questions" regarding ownership of the organization, according to John Glennon of the Nashville TENNESSEAN. Team Owner Bud Adams died in '13, "leaving the franchise to a handful of family members." The group in March "met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to 'ensure the team is under the proper ownership structure.'" Susie Adams Smith and Amy Adams Strunk, daughters of Bud Adams, have 33% ownership each of the parent company which owns the Titans, while the family of Adams' deceased son, Kenneth Adams III, "also has one-third ownership." Underwood said that the process to adjust the team's group ownership structure "is ongoing." Underwood: "We've made progress in trying to work through our issues with the league. I think we've made good progress. We expect to continue working with the league to help get there." Reports of contention between the league and the Titans ownership group "have led to speculation that a sale of the team might be in the works." But Underwood took the opportunity yesterday "to shoot those rumors down yet again." He said, "The team has never been for sale, and it's not for sale now" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 1/5).
CHANGING OF THE GUARDS: In Nashville, Jason Wolf reports Ruston Webster "was fired" yesterday after a four-year stint as the Titans' GM and two prior seasons as the team's VP/Player Personnel. The Titans "have an 18-46 record over the last four seasons." Underwood, who "had served as interim team president and CEO this season, accepted those roles on a permanent basis" yesterday and "dismissed Webster at the direction" of Adams Strunk. Underwood "will shepherd concurrent searches for the team’s coach and GM vacancies, with the first interviews expected this week." He said that the Titans "will hire separate people for each role." He added that the team has "narrowed an initial list" of more than 80 potential GMs to 14, each with at least 15 years of experience as a talent evaluator. A list of 155 coaching candidates "has been whittled to fewer than 10." Underwood said that Titans QB Marcus Mariota "will have at least some degree of input about who is hired." Wolf notes interviews "will be jointly conducted" by Adams Strunk, Kenneth Adams IV, Underwood and Titans VP/Football Administration Vin Marino, who will "oversee football operations during the GM search" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 1/5).
WE'RE ALL COUNTING ON YOU: In Nashville, David Ammenheuser writes the Titans "have hit the reset button. Again." They have posted a 27-53 record over the past five seasons, and attendance at Nissan Stadium "has begun to wane." The interview committee has "quite the tough task ahead." Ammenheuser: "For the sake of Titans' fans, y'all can't afford to mess this up. Your choices for general manager and head coach could be the franchise's biggest decisions since late owner Bud Adams decided to move the team from Houston to Tennessee in 1997" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 1/5).
