Reese, GM of Titans’ Wonderful Bowl group, dies at 73

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Floyd Reese, the same outdated supervisor who assembled the roster for the Tennessee Titans‘ lone Wonderful Bowl look, died Saturday. He became 73.

His family instructed the group of his loss of life. Reese had cancer and became alongside with his family when he died at his Brentwood dwelling just south of Nashville, in step with a social media post by ESPN 102.5 The Game, the radio region the build Reese labored till mid-December.

Reese spent 21 years with the Oilers-Titans as coach and executive, and he remains the winningest same outdated supervisor in franchise ancient past. He is to be inducted into the group’s Ring of Honor this season.

“He built a bunch that saw sustained success and helped files our franchise within the toughest of instances and the supreme moments,” controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk stated. “His eager glimpse for skill led him to a couple the appropriate avid gamers in our group’s ancient past, which led the group to a couple our supreme accomplishments.”

He drafted a trio of Connected Press NFL Beginners of the 300 and sixty five days starting with Eddie George in 1996, then Jevon Kearse in 1999 and Vince Young in 2006. He made Steve McNair, a co-NFL MVP in 2003, the No. 3 general opt in his second draft as same outdated supervisor of the then-Houston Oilers. Reese known as McNair and George, the 14th opt general in ’96, key constructing blocks.

“It became magic,” Reese stated in 2019 earlier than the franchise retired the numbers for every McNair and George. “So after we frolicked with those guys, we stated, ‘Hey, if we are able to manufacture a bunch of these roughly guys we will be OK.’ And, now not decrease than for a while, it labored out.”

Reese’s form of Kearse at No. 16 general in 1999 proved the final half of the Wonderful Bowl group. Kearse anchored the protection with 14 ½ sacks, soundless a rookie file.

The Titans went 13-3 that season reaching the Wonderful Bowl as a wild-card group.

Tennessee went 104-72 between 1999 and 2009 for a .591 winning percentage, though Reese’s contract became now not renewed after the 2006 season while Jeff Fisher remained coach. Handiest Indianapolis, Quiet England, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia won extra in that span than Tennessee.Reese became linebackers coach for four seasons with the Oilers earlier than appealing to the entrance administrative heart in 1990 as assistant same outdated supervisor. He took over as GM just as the NFL instituted the salary cap, which Reese stated in 1997 became the toughest be troubled he faced in that job.

“No group has needed to rebuild the technique we be pleased now, attributable to our salary construction and 7-year streak within the playoffs,” Reese stated in 1997. “We’re phase technique there, with moderately luck we are able to total the job.”

Reese also hired Fisher as coach after Fisher became meantime coach for the final six games of a 2-14 season in 1994.

Collectively, Reese and Fisher oversaw the franchise’s departure from Houston in July 1997. The then-Tennessee Oilers accomplished that season in Memphis and 1998 at Vanderbilt College, with group offices within the motivate of a clinical doctors’ constructing in Nashville.

Renamed the Titans earlier than the 1999 season, the franchise reached two AFC championship games over the next four seasons, with a divisional playoff loss in Quiet England in January 2004.

Reese also became an analyst on ESPN’s NFL Are residing and wrote for ESPN.com earlier than becoming a member of the Patriots as a senior soccer adviser in 2009. He later labored in sports talk radio in Nashville.

A native of Springfield, Missouri, Reese accomplished linebacker at UCLA from 1966-69. He spent a season within the Canadian Football League as a defensive lineman.

He went into teaching at Liberty Union High College in Brentwood, California, in 1970 earlier than going to his alma mater in 1971 for 3 seasons as an assistant. He became an assistant at Georgia Tech in 1974.

Reese went to the NFL in 1975 as energy coach for Detroit. He had the identical job with San Francisco in 1978, and Bud Grant hired him as linebackers and particular teams coach in Minnesota in 1979. He became promoted to defensive coordinator in 1984.

Survivors encompass his companion, Sally, sons Jeremy and Sean and four grandchildren.