Titans hire Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt as coach

The Tennessee Titans wrapped up their coaching search Monday by hiring San Diego offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt as their new head coach and 17th in franchise history.

“Ken is a well-respected coach in this league and I am looking forward to seeing his vision become reality for this team,� Titans President and Chief Executive Tommy Smith said in a statement. “He has a history of building successful offenses and took Arizona to a Super Bowl as a head coach. We all share a common goal for this team and that is to build a consistent winner.�

Whisenhunt, 51, will be introduced at a news conference Tuesday.

The Titans flew to San Diego on Friday and interviewed Whisenhunt, who started his coaching career in Nashville at Vanderbilt. He was the fourth person interviewed by the Titans, who fired Mike Munchak on Jan. 4.

But the Titans had competition for Whisenhunt, who also interviewed with Detroit and Cleveland last week. The Tennessean reported the Titans interviewed Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer for a second time Monday in Houston before hiring Whisenhunt.

Whisenhunt spent six years coaching Arizona and took the Cardinals to their lone Super Bowl in 2009. He was fired Dec. 31, 2012, with a record of 45-51 in the regular season and 4-2 in the playoffs.

He interviewed with Cleveland twice last year before being hired as offensive coordinator in San Diego where he helped Philip Rivers and the Chargers to the playoffs.

Broncos lose cornerback

Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. is out for the rest of the playoffs after an MRI exam revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

“There’s no doubt he’s one of our better performers on defense throughout this season, but … we’ve lost some pretty good performers throughout the season and this team’s been resilient,� Coach John Fox said.

Harris was injured in the third quarter of Denver’s 24-17 win over San Diego in the AFC divisional round Sunday.

After he went out, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers staged a comeback from a 17-point deficit largely by targeting Harris’ rusty replacement, veteran Quentin Jammer.

Harris had played more snaps than anybody on defense and had 65 tackles, three interceptions and 15 pass breakups, all career highs.

Fox wouldn’t say if Jammer would start Sunday against New England in the AFC championship game at Denver.

If the Broncos don’t stick with Jammer, they could move Champ Bailey, a 12-time Pro Bowler who’s been relegated to slot duty after returning from a nagging foot injury last month, back outside or they could insert rookie Kayvon Webster in Harris’ spot opposite cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

Webster is playing with a cast on his right thumb, which he broke in two places a month ago, requiring surgery to insert six screws and five pins.

Bills fire assistant

The Buffalo Bills fired linebackers coach Chuck Driesbach in what is regarded as a surprise move.

Driesbach was in his first season in Buffalo, and joined the team after spending 36 seasons at the college level. He was responsible for coaching inside linebackers. That group included Kiko Alonso, a candidate for defensive rookie of the year.

He becomes the second assistant on rookie Coach Doug Marrone’s staff to be fired after the Bills finished with a 6-10 record. Receivers coach Ike Hilliard was fired a day after the season ended because of what Marrone called “a difference in philosophy.�