The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the AFC South division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The team was originally established as the Houston Oilers in 1959 by businessman Bud Adams, and began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). The Oilers were successful in the early years of the AFL, winning the league's first two championships in 1960 and 1961.
Following the AFL–NFL merger in 1970, the Oilers became part of the NFL's AFC Central division. In 1997, Adams relocated the franchise from Houston to Tennessee, where it played its inaugural season as the Tennessee Oilers at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis. The team relocated to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville in 1998. The following year, it was rebranded as the Tennessee Titans to coincide with the opening of its new current home stadium, originally named Adelphia Coliseum, now known as Nissan Stadium. The Titans made an immediate impact under their new identity, reaching Super Bowl XXXIV in their first season with the new name, narrowly losing to the St. Louis Rams.
The Titans were placed in the AFC South division following the 2002 NFL realignment. Since 2002, they have made the AFC Championship twice, in the 2002 and 2019 seasons, losing both times. Throughout their history, including their time as the Oilers, the franchise has experienced periods of both success and struggle. Over 65 combined seasons in the AFL and NFL, the team has posted an overall record of 479 wins, 515 losses, and 6 ties. They have qualified for the playoffs 25 times, winning two AFL Championships (1960 and 1961), one AFC Championship (1999), and eleven division titles.
Seasons + Key§†*^#
SeasonTeamLeagueConferenceDivisionRegular seasonPostseason resultsAwardsHead coachesFinishHouston Oilers19601960AFL§—East^1st^1040Won AFL Championship (1) (Chargers) 24–16Lou Rymkus19611961AFL§East^1st^1031Won AFL Championship (2) (at Chargers) 10–3George Blanda Lou Rymkus (1–3–1)Wally Lemm (9–0)19621962AFLEast^1st^1130Lost AFL Championship (Dallas Texans) 17–20 Pop Ivy19631963AFLEast3rd68019641964AFLEast4th4100Sammy Baugh19651965AFLEast4th4100Hugh Taylor19661966AFLEast4th3110Wally Lemm19671967AFLEast1st^941Lost AFL Championship (at Raiders) 7–4019681968AFLEast2nd77019691969AFLEast2nd#662Lost Divisional playoffs (at Raiders) 7–5619701970NFLAFCCentral4th310119711971NFLAFCCentral3rd491Ed Hughes19721972NFLAFCCentral4th1130Bill Peterson19731973NFLAFCCentral4th1130Bill Peterson (0–5) Sid Gillman (1–8)19741974NFLAFCCentral2nd770Sid Gillman19751975NFLAFCCentral3rd1040Robert Brazile Bum Phillips19761976NFLAFCCentral4th59019771977NFLAFCCentral3rd86019781978NFLAFCCentral2nd#1060Won Wild Card playoffs (at Dolphins) 17–9Won Divisional playoffs (at Patriots) 31–14Lost AFC Championship (at Steelers) 5–34Earl Campbell 19791979NFLAFCCentral2nd#1150Won Wild Card playoffs (Broncos) 13–7Won Divisional playoffs (at Chargers) 17–14Lost AFC Championship (at Steelers) 13–27Earl Campbell 19801980NFLAFCCentral2nd#1150Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Raiders) 7–27Earl Campbell 19811981NFLAFCCentral3rd790Ed Biles19821982NFLAFC—13th18019831983NFLAFCCentral4th2140Ed Biles (0–6) Chuck Studley (2–8)19841984NFLAFCCentral4th3130Hugh Campbell19851985NFLAFCCentral4th5110Hugh Campbell (5–9) Jerry Glanville (0–2)19861986NFLAFCCentral4th5110Jerry Glanville19871987NFLAFCCentral2nd#960Won Wild Card playoffs (Seahawks) 23–20 Lost Divisional playoffs (at Broncos) 10–3419881988NFLAFCCentral3rd#1060Won Wild Card playoffs (at Browns) 24–23Lost Divisional playoffs (at Bills) 10–1719891989NFLAFCCentral2nd#970Lost Wild Card playoffs (Steelers) 23–26 Warren Moon 19901990NFLAFCCentral2nd#970Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Bengals) 14–41Warren Moon Jack Pardee19911991NFLAFCCentral^1st^1150Won Wild Card playoffs (Jets) 17–10Lost Divisional playoffs (at Broncos) 24–2619921992NFLAFCCentral2nd#1060Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Bills) 38–41 19931993NFLAFCCentral^1st^1240Lost Divisional playoffs (Chiefs) 20–2819941994NFLAFCCentral4th2140Jack Pardee (1–9) Jeff Fisher (1–5)19951995NFLAFCCentral2nd790Jeff Fisher19961996NFLAFCCentral4th880Eddie George Tennessee Oilers19971997NFLAFCCentral3rd880Jeff Fisher19981998NFLAFCCentral2nd880Tennessee Titans19991999NFLAFC*Central2nd#1330Won Wild Card playoffs (Bills) 22–16Won Divisional playoffs (at Colts) 19–16Won AFC Championship (at Jaguars) 33–14Lost Super Bowl XXXIV (vs. Rams) 16–23Jevon Kearse Jeff Fisher20002000NFLAFCCentral^1st^1330Lost Divisional playoffs (Ravens) 10–2420012001NFLAFCCentral4th79020022002NFLAFCSouth^1st^1150Won Divisional playoffs (Steelers) 34–31 Lost AFC Championship (at Raiders) 24–4120032003NFLAFCSouth2nd#1240Won Wild Card playoffs (at Ravens) 20–17Lost Divisional playoffs (at Patriots) 14–17Steve McNair )20042004NFLAFCSouth4th511020052005NFLAFCSouth3rd412020062006NFLAFCSouth2nd880Vince Young 20072007NFLAFCSouth3rd#1060Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Chargers) 6–1720082008NFLAFCSouth^1st^1330Lost Divisional playoffs (Ravens) 10–1320092009NFLAFCSouth3rd880Chris Johnson 20102010NFLAFCSouth4th610020112011NFLAFCSouth2nd970Mike Munchak20122012NFLAFCSouth3rd6100 20132013NFLAFCSouth2nd790 20142014NFLAFCSouth4th2140 Ken Whisenhunt20152015NFLAFCSouth4th3130 Ken Whisenhunt (1–6) Mike Mularkey (2–7)20162016NFLAFCSouth2nd970 Mike Mularkey20172017NFLAFCSouth2nd#970Won Wild Card playoffs (at Chiefs) 22–21Lost Divisional playoffs (at Patriots) 14–3520182018NFLAFCSouth3rd970 Mike Vrabel20192019NFLAFCSouth2nd#970Won Wild Card playoffs (at Patriots) 20–13Won Divisional playoffs (at Ravens) 28–12Lost AFC Championship (at Chiefs) 24–35Ryan Tannehill 20202020NFLAFCSouth^1st^1150Lost Wild Card playoffs (Ravens) 13–20Derrick Henry )20212021NFLAFCSouth^1st^1250Lost Divisional playoffs (Bengals) 16–19Mike Vrabel 20222022NFLAFCSouth2nd710020232023NFLAFCSouth4th611020242024NFLAFCSouth4th3140 Brian Callahan20252025NFLAFCSouth4th3140 Brian Callahan (1–5) Mike McCoy (2–9)
All-time records +StatisticWinsLossesTiesWin%Houston Oilers regular season record (1960–1996)2512916Tennessee Oilers regular season record (1997–1998)16160Tennessee Titans regular season record (1999–2025)2152260All-time regular season record (1960–2025)4825296Houston Oilers post-season record (1960–1996)913—Tennessee Oilers post-season record (1997–1998)00—.000Tennessee Titans post-season record (1999–2025)810—All-time post-season record (1960–2025)1723—All-time regular and post-season record (1960–2025)4995526
See also History of the Tennessee Titans History of the Houston Oilers
Notes
References