Mularkey making 'a real impact' in Atlanta

Mike Mularkey did not start out as a tight ends coach.

Several times, though, he has started over in that role.

That is the case again this season, the former Tennessee Titans head coach’s first as tight ends coach with the Atlanta Falcons. His presence on the opposite sideline will be a notable storyline Sunday when the Titans play the Falcons in Atlanta in a matchup of 1-2 teams.

Fired in the wake of the 2017, Mularkey sat out 2018 while still under contract with the Titans. The Falcons hired him Jan. 8.

He came to Tennessee in 2014 as tight ends coach under Ken Whisenhunt after one season as head coach at Jacksonville (2012). In that instance, he also took a year off before he resumed his coaching career (the Titans won their first game against Jacksonville that season).

The first time he was fired as head coach was after a two-year run at Buffalo (2004-05). Then, he went right back to work as offensive coordinator with the Miami Dolphins but a year later – naturally – he was demoted to tight ends coach for that team.

Tight end Austin Hooper is tied for the Falcons’ lead with 19 receptions (177 yards, two touchdowns), a pace that will get him to 101 catches for the season if he maintains it. The fourth-year player’s career-high is 71 receptions (2018).

Former Titans tight end Luke Stocker has four receptions for 16 yards, which has him on pace for a career-high as well.

“(Mularkey) had a real impact, not just on the tight ends, but on the entire team,” Atlanta coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday. “He helps me a lot on the game management side. His influence with, not just the offense, but with the entire team has been really good.”

Mularkey, whose first job was as offensive line coach at Concordia College (1993), is the only Titans coach since Jeff Fisher to take the franchise to the postseason. He was fired after having guided the Titans the divisional round of the playoffs, courtesy of a victory at Kansas City in the wild card round.

In his two full seasons as head coach (he also was interim coach for the final nine games of 2015) Tennessee went 9-7, the first time since 2007 and 2008 the franchise had back-to-back winning seasons. Mularkey is one of seven coaches in franchise history to win at least 20 games.