The hiring of GM Mike Borgonzi is a move worthy of being celebrated by Tennessee Titans fans.
Borgonzi was widely considered to be the best GM candidate taking interviews during this hiring cycle. He has been heavily involved in the decision making process for the Kansas City Chiefs for a number of years now.
On the surface, it's a home run hire. But I have some concerns about the conflicting reports and confusing messaging from the Titans regarding the structure of the front office moving forward. The Titans need to answer these questions in the press conference that is anticipated later this week. Tennessee needs to set the record straight about the roles of Borgonzi and Chad Brinker.
Right after Ran Carthon was fired, all of Tennessee’s messaging was centered around Chad Brinker being the man in charge.
"It is important to Amy to have absolute clarity in the football organization," said team President and CEO Burke Nihill in an interview with Jim Wyatt. "And so, while the general manager position will have a primary responsibility on all these things Chad is describing in terms of the day-to-day of overseeing the roster and the coaching staff, Chad is the leader of the football program, so Chad will be the final authority on all football matters, including the roster."
Titans fans and media were given the idea that Brinker would be the one calling the shots. It’s one of the big reasons I endorsed the move to fire Carthon. If Brinker is top dog and hires a new GM under him that reports back to him, then there is a clear power structure with executives who will be held accountable for their role in all of the Titans' successes and failures.
That’s all I asked for. Clear messaging and a clear power structure. Alignment from the top down.
Contradicting report
When I learned that Chad Brinker was the one responsible for hiring Borgonzi, it only gave me more confidence. But the latest report from Albert Breer contradicts a lot of what the Titans have been saying publicly
According to Breer, “Borgonzi will report to Brinker in a setup that mirrors what you’d see in other sports. Borgonzi will oversee coaching, scouting, sports medicine, sports performance and player development, and have final say on the roster."
Just one week ago, Brinker was going to have total control of the roster and the entire football department. All of a sudden that’s Borgonzi's responsibility?
His new job description make it sound like Borgonzi is a more essential member of Tennessee’s front office than Brinker is. And I’ve never been more confused on who is actually calling the shots. That’s a bad recipe for an organization that has demonstrated dysfunction in recent years.
When the Titans conduct an introductory press conference for their new General Manager later this week, I will want these questions answered. I don’t care who has control of the roster, so long as it is made clear to the media and the public. We need to clearly lay out the job responsibilities of both Brinker and Borgonzi so that they may be held accountable if things don’t pan out and praised if they do.
The Titans need to set the record straight. Having structure is the most important thing for the floundering franchise right now.
