Tennessee Titans and head coach Jeff Fisher part ways after 16 years

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: The Tennessee Titans on Thursday announced that they would be parting ways with head coach Jeff Fisher after 16 seasons, the team's official site reported.

"We will be forever appreciative of Jeff Fisher's leadership and accomplishments through his time with our franchise," the team said. "We reached some of our greatest heights and experienced some unforgettable moments during his tenure."

According to the Titans' statement, the team had numerous discussions on the direction of the team and previously announced that they would be going into next season with Fisher, completing the final year of his contract.

However, the statement said "it became evident that consensus was increasingly hard to find and reality wasn't matching the vision we discussed."

"It is unfortunate that this decision is coming at this juncture, but we believe that we have reached the point where change is in the best interest of both parties," the Titans stated, adding that they would begin searching for a new head coach on Friday.

Fisher, 52, of Culver City, California, who began his NFL coaching career in 1985, became the Tennessee Titans' head coach in 1994, having the longest tenure as head coach with one team among active head coaches at the time of the announcement.

After 16 seasons, Fisher finished with a 142-120 record, and a 5-6 postseason record with the Titans.

In 1999, Fisher led the Titans to a 13-3 record and a Super Bowl appearance after winning the AFC Championship game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Titans lost the Super Bowl to the St. Louis Rams 23-16 after wide receiver Kevin Dyson was tackled one yard short of a what would have been a game-winning touchdown as time had expired.

"I want to thank Mr. Adams and the organization for a special 17 years," Fisher said. "I can’t thank the fans enough for the support they showed us through the years; it has been a tremendous experience."

"We all did our very best and I think I can look back with fond memories and be very proud of what we accomplished. I want to wish the organization, the current players and the fans nothing but the best in the future."

(BNO NEWS )