Since Peyton Manning left Indianapolis in 2010, the AFC South has been the worst division in the NFL. In fact, it’s the only division in the AFC that hasn’t reached a Super Bowl in the last eight seasons.
However, there are several positive signs for the AFC South moving forward. Jacksonville had an excellent season in 2017, and they have one of the best defenses in the league. Tennessee also made the playoffs and won a postseason game. Houston had an abysmal year, but Deshaun Watson looked very promising before his injury.
The Colts are the biggest question mark given Andrew Luck’s bad health. But if he returns to the field and his health is fully restored, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Two new faces will be patrolling the sidelines in the AFC South this season. Mike Vrabel was hired to replace Mike Mularkey as the head coach of the Titans. Elsewhere, the Colts fired Chuck Pagano and replaced him with Frank Reich.
Will the AFC South continue to improve in 2018? The Jaguars are the favorites to win the division again, but all four teams could be in contention for a playoff spot.
Throughout the month of June, we have ranked the coaches in each division. The AFC South is our final stop of the month. We’ve already ranked coaches in the AFC West, AFC North, AFC East, NFC North, NFC East, NFC South and NFC West. Later this week, we’ll rank the top five coaches in the NFL.
AFC South Coach Rankings
- Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
Mike Mularkey led the Titans to a 9-7 season and the franchise’s first playoff victory in 15 years last season. He was rewarded with a pink slip after a divisional round loss to the New England Patriots.
Ownership thought Mularkey underachieved, and they replaced him with Vrabel. This is Vrabel’s first head coaching job, and the 42-year-old has only been an assistant since 2011.
If Mike Vrabel was your coach how would it make you feel if this is how he felt? pic.twitter.com/22EtY2EFvQ
— HIGH NOON (@HIGHNOONonESPN) June 26, 2018
Nonetheless, Vrabel played for Bill Belichick and coached under Urban Meyer. Those are two of the brightest minds in football, and Vrabel spent the last few seasons as a defensive assistant in Houston. The expectations are high, but the Titans have a very solid roster and a team ready to compete for the division title.
- Frank Reich, Indianapolis Colts
In an alternate universe, Josh McDaniels is the head coach of the Colts. McDaniels agreed to take the job, but he changed his mind at the last second and returned to New England.
Instead, the Colts hired the offensive coordinator who outdueled McDaniels and Bill Belichick in the Super Bowl. Reich had a terrific season with the Eagles, and he had success with both Carson Wentz and Nick Foles at quarterback.
Three years ago, the #Colts were coming off an appearance in the AFC Championship Game with a 90-man roster that averaged 27.4 years old.
Now? Just nine players remain from that roster and the average age is down to 24.8.
How — and why — it happened:https://t.co/X0HF8ztLdV pic.twitter.com/UdnQosoVty
— Andrew Walker (@AWalkerColts) June 26, 2018
Reich was also an offensive assistant with the Colts from 2008-2011. The Colts haven’t made the postseason since 2014, and they have the worst roster in the division. But if Andrew Luck is healthy, they could turn things around quickly. The Colts aren’t expecting Reich to turn the team into a contender immediately. However, the rest of the division is quickly passing them by, and Reich might not have a very long leash.
- Bill O’Brien, Houston Texans
The season ending injury to Deshaun Watson gave O’Brien a pass for the 4-12 campaign in 2017. However, O’Brien’s seat is warming up in Houston, and he needs to have a big year this season.
Houston finished 9-7 in O’Brien’s first three seasons. They won the AFC South in 2015 and 2016, and they went 1-2 in the playoffs. But Jacksonville passed them by last year, and Tennessee is in better shape overall right now.
If Watson has a breakout year and Houston makes the playoffs, O’Brien will likely return for a sixth season. J.J. Watt will return after his injury last year, and the combination of him and Jadeveon Clowney is frightening. Overall, this should be a much better team in 2018.
But if the Texans are a middle of the road team or worse, they’ll likely move on from O’Brien. It’s a make-or-break season for O’Brien, and he’s banking on Deshaun Watson turning into a star in his second season in the league.
- Doug Marrone, Jacksonville Jaguars
After nine straight seasons without a winning record, the Jaguars finally turned the corner a season ago. Marrone led the Jags to a 10-6 record and an appearance in the AFC Championship Game in his first full season as head coach.
Tom Coughlin deserves credit for bringing in the right players — especially on defense. But Marrone was impressive in his first season in Jacksonville, and they nearly made the Super Bowl despite having Blake Bortles at quarterback.
Bortles limits the ceiling of Jacksonville, but they’ll have a chance against anyone thanks to their defense. Leonard Fournette had a great rookie season, but he’ll have to carry the offense again in 2018.
Marrone’s first stop as a head coach in Buffalo produced a 15-17 record, but he led the team to a 9-7 record in his second season. He deserved a third year, but the franchise moved in a different direction. Now, Marrone has a contender in Jacksonville.
Even with a shaky quarterback situation, the Jaguars are still one of the best teams in the NFL. That’s a testament to the way the team was constructed and to Marrone’s coaching ability.
