The Titans start their general manager search with 2 former GMs among 1st trio interviewed

Updated Jan. 10, 2025 9:23 p.m. ET

Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have started their search for a new general manager by interviewing three candidates, beginning with a pair of former GMs in Reggie McKenzie and Thomas Dimitroff.

The Titans wrapped up their first interviews virtually Friday night with Tampa Bay assistant general manager John Spytek. Chad Brinker, the president of football operations for the Titans, is leading the search to replace Ran Carthon, who was fired Tuesday after going 9-25 in his two seasons.

A Knoxville native who played at the University of Tennessee, McKenzie was the first interviewed Friday morning. This is his second time in contention for this job after being in the mix in 2008. He played five seasons in the NFL, and then spent a season as a graduate assistant at his alma mater.

McKenzie went to Green Bay in 1994 and worked in a variety of roles with the Packers through 2011, including director of football operations. Brinker was a scouting assistant and pro scout for Green Bay between 2009 and 2012.

McKenzie was general manager of the then-Oakland Raiders between 2012 and 2018. He has spent the past six seasons as a senior personnel executive with the Miami Dolphins.

Dimitroff was general manager of the Atlanta Falcons from 2008 until he was fired in October 2020. The Falcons went 109-88 with six playoff berths and a Super Bowl appearance during his tenure.

Dimitroff also was a scout for Kansas City, Detroit, Cleveland and New England, with the Patriots naming him director of college scouting in 2003, a job he held for five years. He interviewed with the New York Jets for their general manager vacancy late last month.

Dimitroff helped start a football analytics company called SumerSports in January 2022 to help with acquiring players and managing NFL rosters.

The Titans also will be interviewing Catherine Hickman, Cleveland's assistant general manager and vice president of football operations.

Spytek has been in his current role overseeing Tampa Bay's college and pro scouting departments since 2023.

He started as an intern in Philadelphia in 2005 before becoming a full-time college scout in 2006 and adding pro scouting duties in 2007. Cleveland hired him as director of college scouting in 2010. He was a scout for Denver for three years before Tampa Bay hired him in 2016 as director of player personnel.

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