Ken Whisenhunt's culture change a work in progress

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

It's a saying attributed to the Navy SEALs, but in some ways, it might also describe the unsaid message from Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt to his players. It's an approach the first-year coach hopes will ultimately result in a change of fortune for a franchise that's been doomed in mediocrity of late.

Hired in January to replace Mike Munchak, Whisenhunt knew he had his work cut out for him. He was stepping into a franchise without a playoff appearance since 2008 and without a playoff win since 2003.

Many of his new players were used to a different approach. The same applied to some assistant coaches and even those in administration. Changes needed to be made and during the offseason they were.

Across the board, from the roster to the coaching staff to the training staff and beyond, Whisenhunt helped oversee some sweeping alterations. Along the way, he's also attempted to change the mindset and culture inside Saint Thomas Sports Park.

Six games into the season, the results haven't been what Whisenhunt envisioned. The Titans are 2-4 heading into Sunday's game against the Redskins, and they've been on the wrong side of some blowouts. Still, Whisenhunt likes the direction things are headed, though he's quick to note that the transformation is still in the early stages.

It's safe to say plenty of work needs to be done before his stamp can easily be seen on the franchise.

"You want a timetable, but I don't know that there is one," Whisenhunt said. "What you are trying to establish is a mindset and a consistency of how you do things, and it's a process. We as coaches, we as an organization, we want it to happen right now. Our fans want it to happen right now.

"But the one thing I'll say and I know this, is if you are consistent and you stay consistent, that gives you the best chance of having sustained success. In Arizona, it took us a little while. We probably started to get to that point late in the first season, and then the second year we went to the Super Bowl. But even in the second year we were still a work in progress.

"I'll say this, though, I've seen a tremendous amount of progress with our guys."

Players support coach

Many players said this week Whisenhunt is exactly what the franchise needed.

In six seasons (2007-2012) in Arizona, Whisenhunt's teams went 45-51. He took the Cardinals to the Super Bowl in 2008 but was fired after his 2012 team started 4-0 before losing 11 of 12 games to finish 5-11. Whisenhunt served as offensive coordinator with the Chargers last season, but he became a hot commodity during the offseason. The Titans got aggressive and signed him to a five-year deal.

Since taking over, the changes under Whisenhunt have been easy to detect even beyond the depth chart.

Players say the expectation level has changed, along with the personality of the man calling the shots. In his three seasons, Munchak was admittedly learning on the job. He became better known for his hospitality than for having a good handle on all the responsibilities of being a head coach. Immediately upon his arrival, Whisenhunt made it clear things would be different.

Players say practices are consistently crisper. Lackadaisical practice and study habits are no longer tolerated.

Receiver Nate Washington, who played under Whisenhunt while he was offensive coordinator with the Steelers, said his approach has the attention of players.

"I don't know if every man in this locker room would say he puts them in an uncomfortable position, but I will say he has required and asked some things of guys that might not have been before," Washington said. "With that being said, it takes some adjusting… Any time you are dealing with a situation like this, some guys deal with it, some guys don't. It's just a matter of getting everybody on the same page. Whether you like it or not, you have to accept some things to be better at."

Whisenhunt has been known as no-nonsense coach. He doesn't sugar-coat things in meeting rooms or in his dealings with media.

Change in attitude

Already this season he's called out underperforming players after bad games. He's also been willing to praise them.

A year ago, Titans tight end Delanie Walker was among the players who said some players with bad attitudes needed to be weeded out. He used the term "cancer" on numerous occasions when talking about teammates on a team that finished 7-9.

While the Titans have struggled this season, Walker said things have improved.

"Yeah, he's a serious guy, but you need that from a head coach," Walker said of Whisenhunt. "I don't want to seem like the other coaches in the past weren't good.

"But I like everything (Whisenhunt) has brought to this organization, from the coaches, to the types of playbooks we use, to the energy he brings to practice. You want to have that from a head coach. And I have found when you take care of your coach, he'll take care of his players."

One of seven new coaches across the NFL this season, Whisenhunt said his work in establishing the right mindset needs more time.

If some players prove to be unwilling or unable to buy into his approach, they won't be around for the long haul, he said.

'I think the nature of a football player is to buy in with what is going on with their team. That is their job, and if their actions determine that they are not buying in, then you have to cross that bridge when you get there," Whisenhunt said. "It comes to a point where either you're in or you're out, and that's the way it works in this business. I know all the years I worked in Pittsburgh and the consistent success we had there, if you didn't adapt to the way they did things, you weren't going to be around for very long. You have to establish that culture; you have to establish that mindset.

"You see a lot of our guys buying in that are in and working hard, and we are going to continue to work that way. We just have to get to the point where we play more consistently, and we've shown that we can do it. Some of it is confidence, some of it is continued belief in the system and I do believe our players believe in the system because we're having success with it."

Reach Jim Wyatt at 259-8015 or on Twitter @jwyattsports

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TITANS (2-4) AT REDSKINS (1-5)

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