Mike Munchak becomes the latest National Football League (NFL) coach to lose his job, the seventh fired coach this season, after the Tennessee Titans decided to go in a different direction.

Unhappy with the offense, the Titans met with Munchak on Friday to discuss letting go of offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, who team officials felt relied too much on the passing game rather than implement a power running game, and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. Munchak refused the team's request and was fired Saturday morning.

"I can't fire someone when I don't believe they should be fired. Firing someone is awful," said Munchak. "For me to maintain a job and a lot of guys lose jobs on a plan I didn't think was right, I couldn't do that."

Munchak, who compiled a 22-26 record in three seasons as head coach and went 7-9 last season, will interview for the vacant Detroit Lions head coaching job, after they fired Jim Schwartz last Monday. Schwartz failed to hold on to the NFC North division lead and guide the team into the postseason, losing six of their last seven games to end the year.

The Lions are looking at San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt to fill their vacancy and have asked the Cincinnati Bengals for permission to interview their offensive coordinator, Jay Gruden, to help fix a team that has underachieved and played undisciplined football during Schwartz's tenure.

The Washington Redskins, who let go of Mike Shanahan last week after going 3-13 a year removed from winning the NFC East title, are also interested in Gruden as well as Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, as they go through their search for a head coach. The Redskins also plan to interview the New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell, Seattle offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, and Dallas Cowboys assistant head coach Rich Bisaccia.

Washington will have competition for Zimmer's services if they intend on signing him, with Tennessee interested in his services as well as the Minnesota Vikings, who fired Leslie Frazier following a 5-10-1 record this year. Both Tennessee and Minnesota want to interview Zimmer, with the Vikings also looking at Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton, while the Titans are also considering Caldwell, Bevell and Whisenhunt, as well.

Cleveland also needs a head coach, who fired Rob Chudzinski 4-12 in his first and only season with the team, while retaining his assistant coaches, and want to interview New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.

Both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Houston Texans took care of their vacancies as quickly as possible. The Buccaneers hired former Bears coach Lovie Smith after they fired both head coach Greg Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik. The Texans went to the college ranks for the job search and hired Penn State University coach Bill O'Brien, who was previously an offensive coordinator under Bill Belichick in New England.

The Raiders are still evaluating their coaching situation and originally scheduled a meeting with coach Dennis Allen for Tuesday but no decision has been made as to his future with the organization. The Raiders went 4-12 in the season under Allen - who is the eighth head coach in the past 13 seasons for the organization - and has not had a winning season since 2002 but ESPN's Adam Clayton is reporting that Allen's job is safe at the moment.