Tennessee
Tennessee Titans finalize coaching staff: A look at the defense
The Tennessee Titans have announced their full coaching staff for the 2026 NFL season.
The Titans hired Robert Saleh to be their next head coach on Jan. 22. Tennessee has made additional hirings in the weeks since Saleh’s deal.
The Titans have retained three coaches on their defensive staff. Tennessee welcomed five new defensive coaches this offseason.
Let’s take a look at the Titans’ defensive coaching staff in full.
Ben Bloom – Senior defensive assistant
Ben Bloom returns to the Titans for his third season, now as senior defensive assistant. Bloom served as outside linebackers coach for the Titans from 2024-25.
Dave Borgonzi – Linebackers coach
Dave Borgonzi replaces Frank Bush as linebackers coach. Borgonzi is the younger brother of Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi. He most recently served as linebackers coach for the Dallas Cowboys in 2025.
Dalton Hilliard – Defensive backs/nickels
Dalton Hilliard was the pass game coordinator as well as defensive backs coach for Colorado State in 2025. The Titans are the first NFL team that Hilliard has coached for in his career.
Marquand Manuel – Defensive backs/safeties
Manuel joins the Titans after serving as secondary coach/pass game coordinator with the New York Giants in 2025. He’s been a defensive coach in the league since 2013. Manuel began his NFL coaching career as a special teams assistant on the Seattle Seahawks in 2012.
Tony Oden – Pass game coordinator/cornerbacks
The 2026 NFL season will be Tony Oden’s second as the Titans’ defensive passing game coordinator as well as cornerbacks coach. Oden was the New York Jets’ senior defensive assistant as well as cornerbacks coach from 2022-24. New York’s secondary produced a two-time first-team All-Pro honoree in Sauce Gardner in 2022 as well as 2023.
Ahmed Saleh – Defensive assistant
Ahmed Saleh, the cousin of coach Robert Saleh, serves as the new defensive assistant for the Titans. His last role was as linebackers coach as well as special teams coordinator for Wayne State University.
Travis Smith – Senior defensive assistant/pass rush specialist
Travis Smith now serves as defensive assistant/pass rush specialist after serving as defensive run game coordinator in 2026. Smith enters his second season with Tennessee.
Aaron Whitecotton – Defensive line
Whitecotton serves as the Titans’ defensive line coach. He’s coached in the NFL since 2013. Whitecotton most recently served as defensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys in 2025.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Big hearts, small hands! Tennessee kids are stepping up to make a big difference this summer.
First Lady Maria Lee on Tuesday announced the eighth annual Tennessee Kids Serve Summer Challenge, encouraging young students to dedicate part of their summer to helping others.
The program, part of the Tennessee Serves initiative, runs from June 1 through Aug. 1 and is open to rising kindergarteners through rising sixth graders across the state.
Participants must complete at least two hours of service across two of eight designated categories to finish the challenge, with top participants earning an invitation to a September carnival at the Tennessee Residence.
Since its launch in 2019, more than 3,500 children have contributed over 15,000 hours of service through activities ranging from park cleanups to assisting nursing homes and raising funds for disaster relief.
Registration opened Tuesday, with parents and guardians able to sign up participants and access additional details through the First Lady’s official website.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A bill moving through the Tennessee Legislature could reshape how pharmacies do business in the state, with CVS warning it could lead to widespread store closures.
The Tennessee Senate has passed legislation that would change the way pharmacies can operate. The proposal has been dubbed “the CVS bill” because it directly impacts the drugstore chain.
Under the bill, drugstores would no longer be allowed to negotiate prices directly with insurance providers or government programs. Instead, a third party would be required to step in.
The bill is now under debate in the House. CVS says the change would force more than 100 of its pharmacies to close across Tennessee, but lawmakers disagree.
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