 So I sat two years ago. I sat in Boston College's recruiting room got a phone call From John Robinson to be the head coach of the Tennessee Titans Clearly ecstatic Excited to be with Tyler and that opportunity, but also to be given the opportunity to be the head coach here With that after the the my my first call home was to Dean P's and Asked Dean. I knew he was retired or is in the process of retiring But but wanted him to be a part of this to help me To help lead our defense and our team needed his experience And his knowledge to help us get this thing going So I just like Dean to be able to have a couple minutes with you guys Dean It's like every press conference Mike gave me an opportunity to to come here along with John Robinson along with Amy and I'm very very much appreciative Wasn't a hard sell when he got me out of retirement because of who Mike is how he was as a player I knew how the success he'd have as a coach and it was my honor to Be able to work for him for the last two years, but in talking with my wife we've decided that it's time for me to hang up the cleats so to speak and You know, it's been 47 years Told the team today 721 games. That's a lot of games the coach and it's just it's time And it's I've been around enough players and watched them retire and watch guys Sometimes maybe stay longer than they should have and I just they feel like it's a great time for us and my wife I'm gonna spend a lot of time with my wife and She's been very supportive We've got her 12th grandchild on the way I got nine grandsons who I are starting to play ball and I want to be a part of their life and watching them play and It's been a great profession been a great ride. I've been very fortunate along the way from being a high school coach Guy giving me an opportunity to coach in high school And then from Finley College to all the college jobs that I've had with coach Holtz coach Saban With coach bell check with coach Harbaugh and with Mike I've been around just nothing but great people It's it's when you're part of great organizations and great players They make you look great and I've been very appreciative of them, you know, I'm very appreciative of you guys I've really been Really fortunate with the media that I've been around both in New England and Baltimore and with you guys that that You know, I have no complaints. I really feel very fortunate to have been here The everything I'd really like to do besides the organization is the fan base here at Tennessee My wife and I've been very very well received and very appreciative of all the support that we've gotten here with all the fans in Tennessee It's a good chance we may not be moving from this state After a living here for the last two years We own a home on a lake up in Michigan And I always thought that was gonna be our retirement place till we moved here and then all of a sudden our plans may have changed So we you may see me around a Lot in fact after probably about three days of retirement you my wife may have you see me a lot She may get me out out But again, I just I've been blessed with a Just a tremendous career being around tremendous people both coaches and players and organizations I've worked for three great organizations in this league and I can't say enough about the opportunities that that I've been blessed with and But I think God's kind of trying to tell me it's it's it's that time Well, that's what everybody that's the first thing everybody says to me says this for real it is for real look if If I wanted if I wanted to continue coaching it would be here It's it's we got a great staff really enjoy the guys great working for Mike. I love our players This is I'm done coaching There's a passion when talking to the guys about you there's a passion you see it in their eyes and fill it in their voice What is it that allows you to connect to your players so much? It's not all coaches could do that well, I think you know the The biggest thing I think in in in coaching Somebody just we were just talking I was just talking with somebody in the office about it right now one of players and and I said, you know If players believe that you care about them both as A player and not as a player. I think that's the biggest thing There's a lot of schemes that work. I mean everybody has a different scheme offense game defensive scheme Whatever it isn't about the scheme you got to believe in your scheme as a coach And if they believe that you believe that's that's part of it but I think the thing of it is is they you get them to believe and if they trust you and Really believe that you care about them. Like I say on and off the field You can get people to do a lot of things and I do like truly care about them In this career, I have I have never Applied for a job. I've never interviewed for a job. I didn't interview with Mike. I didn't interview with John I didn't interview with Bill Everything has always been word of mouth and I've loved every job that I've had and I think that's the difference in coaching Is there's got guys out there some times that what can I do to advance? What can I do to get ahead? Hey, you know what you can do? You can do a great job of where you are and love where you are and love the people that you're with and that'll show And somebody will call you You know rather than trying to worry about how fast can I advance somewhere? It didn't about that It's about doing a great job and being loyal to the people that you work for and I can truly say I've loved every job. I've had I Mean some have been tougher than others, but I've loved it You love the competitiveness about trying to take a high school program or even a college program that hasn't won and turn It on into a winner. That's been just as satisfying as all the other ones and just as satisfying listen to somebody call you years later Who's not in the NFL, but they're having a great career And I got a call not too long ago the guy just got named director of the FBI I mean they're one of the directors he went in the director But that he played for me in college that's just as satisfying so I think the fact that You have those relationships and that you truly care and people know you care. I think that's I Think that's that's why you white people play hard Why I work hard for him the respect I have for him and the other coaches that I worked for you know, I just I remember what he was like as a player And somebody always asked me when I went to New England at first what it was like to coach those guys I said, you know what it's like. It's like coaching coaches That's what it's like. These guys are prepared and ready and it's And that's what he ends up being a very successful Cotton-ear professional coach. I mean, that's what it was like coaching Mike. So I'm grateful to all those guys in my past What do you think you like watching football next to you? Pardon. What do you imagine will be like watching football next to you? I don't know I'm gonna watch it I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what it's gonna be like. I've been part of my life for so long that I Don't know. I Know this I won't be one of these guys that second-guess us everybody because that's what it's awful easy to do and Nobody knows what it's like until you're in that position You don't know if guys are injured guys are hurt whatever guys might be you don't know You know and no coach no coach is gonna ever stand up here and make excuses and tell you all this We had three guys hurt or we have this guy hurt They're just gonna sit and they're just gonna take it and so I know what that's like and and I know the truth And so I think just watching the game is gonna be You know, I'll watch and root for the guys that that I know and cheer for them and and be happy Did you imagine that you would coach this long and how fun maybe the journey been I'll be honest when when The honest truth is I want to be a high school football coach because I was the guys along with my father that I admired the most and My dad never got to see me coach. He died first year. I became a head of high school coach he passed away at 56 years old of a heart attack never saw me coach and So I've coached a lot of years for him and That's all I ever really wanted to be Jim I really had No, I didn't I don't want to say I didn't have any desire. I Wasn't I'm happy. I'm a high school coach. This is boy. This is great And one thing led to another and one thing led to another and one thing led to another and it's just it's happened And did I ever imagine that I'd spend 16 years in the NFL? And I'd be a defensive coordinator at these three places not in probably not in my wildest dreams Did I ever think that? But it happened I'm proud of the way our players played I'm really proud of these guys You look back at We've I'm just I'm just proud of the way these guys Performed weekend week out gave it their all Bought into whatever the game plan was that we as a staff put together for them didn't balk at it That's what I'm most proud of I just You know Mike came up with the you know the slogan, you know that we finish everything and I think that's what these guys did And I and I'm just as much in this last game. I mean those guys are when they quit in them We had a bunch of guys beat up now. I know he won't tell you that I'll tell you that We had a bunch of guys that were playing and for us to go on the road for four straight weeks Against the four teams that we had to play My hats off to those guys In mind how special it was it for you to be able to coach on the same staff as your son incredible, and I will be indebted to Mike and Amy and John and all the people that made that happen because it didn't happen at all the other places That I've been wanting that for a long time and you know, I retired thinking that was never gonna happen and Mike made it happen and Like I say and for Amy to allow it to happen I am truly truly indebted and grateful and for it to spend two years with my son here and watch him grow It's just there aren't enough words. You guys all know if you have kids. I mean, it's just like It's a dream come true and be in the same profession. I Just it was incredible. It was incredible Thank you, thank you Appreciate you Dean You know just on behalf of the you know, the organization coaching staff me I just want to thank Dean for for his just Countless hours in the office and Preparation and I think you can you hear him talk. I think they're you see where I get a lot of things You know players love them, you know, I've talked them out of retirement once I didn't have the heart to do it a second time But you know, we're lucky that that he was here and he chose to come here and be with us really thankful