Titans owner believes Fisher, Reese can finish rebuilding

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — Tennessee owner Bud Adams knows his Titans have been bad with a combined record of 9-23 over the past two years, but he has faith that general manager Floyd Reese and coach Jeff Fisher can finish rebuilding the team.

“We have two very experienced men in there with Jeff Fisher and Floyd Reese that can get the job done,” Adams said in comments posted on his team’s Web site Saturday.

“Jeff is a great coach. We had to take some of the good players away, and that hurts a team when you let those veteran guys go like that.”

Fisher has been the head coach since taking over on an interim basis in November 1994, and he is the franchise’s winningest coach with a record of 102-89.

Reese is the team’s winningest general manager, and they oversaw a stretch in which the Titans reached the playoffs in four of five seasons and played in the 2000 Super Bowl and two AFC championship games.

But the Titans spent the past two seasons slashing veterans and letting expensive free agents like Jevon Kearse leave after overspending to try and return to the Super Bowl.

Adams said now they are rebuilding, and he thinks Reese and Fisher will get the job done.

“I would hope we can get it done by next year or the following year. At my age, I challenge them and tell them, ‘Let’s get it done in a hurry.’ But I believe they will get it done.

“We should be turning the thing around this coming year with those young players really beginning to perform for us,” he said.

Adams was inducted Friday night into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame for his contributions to the NFL and for relocating his then-Houston Oilers to the state in 1997.

“It was a complete surprise, but I was very pleased to find out. It’s probably the highest honor I’ve had the privilege of receiving, and I’ve been around sports for a long time,” he said.