Head coach to appear in Tanner, Pulaski, Fayetteville, Shelbyville and Murfreesboro
 |
| Titans head coach Mike Munchak headlines Day 5 of the 2012 Titans Caravan. |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. –Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Munchak will headline Titans Caravan on Friday, May 4, the fifth day of the team's annual two-week tour through the Mid-South. The 14th Caravan, sponsored by Grange Insurance, will stop on Friday in the communities of Tanner, Pulaski, Fayetteville, Shelbyville and Murfreesboro.
Munchak will begin the day with a 9:30 a.m. visit to Tanner High School (12060 Sommers Road). The Caravan school program will feature a high-energy, educational message from seven-time Pro Bowl Titans mascot T-Rac, host Rhett Bryan and Munchak. The Titans use the opportunity to speak to the youngsters about the NFL's Play 60 program, which stresses the importance of getting at least 60 minutes of active play each day, and also the benefits of making good choices in all parts of their lives. T-Rac and the Titans school program are sponsored by Tennessee State Parks, which celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2012 and will provide several unique surprises to viewers during the program.
The Caravan continues with four consecutive public stops: 11:30 a.m. at Holley's Printing in Pulaski (955 West College Street), 1:30 p.m. at the Fayetteville Town Gazebo (Fayetteville Square), 3:30 p.m. at Kroger in Shelbyville (1010 North Main Street), and finally 5:30 p.m. at Kroger in Murfreesboro (2325 North Memorial Boulevard).
The public events allow fans to meet Munchak, T-Rac and the "Voice of the Titans" Mike Keith. Posters are provided to all Caravan attendees for autographs, and photos are encouraged. Every Titans Caravan public event is sponsored by the Trusted Choice agents of the Insurors of Tennessee and is done at no charge to fans. Public stops generally last one hour.
Also for the first time, the U.S. Army will be joining the Titans Caravan public stops. Fans will have the opportunity take part in a cornhole competition, test their skills at a variety of team-building exercises and claim free commemorative Titans Caravan 2012 dog tags. U.S. Army representatives will be on hand to share the exciting opportunities available in today's Army.
Munchak became the 16th head coach in franchise history on Feb. 7, 2011. In his first year on the job, he helped guide the Titans to a 9-7 record and a second-place finish in the AFC South. In the process of leading the Titans to three more wins in 2011 than they recorded in 2010, Munchak became the sixth Titans/Oilers head coach to reach nine wins in his first season. Of the eight NFL head coaches in 2011 who were in their first full season at their current post, only San Francisco's Jim Harbaugh, whose team had 13 wins, finished with more wins than Munchak.
After a 12-year playing career as a guard for the Houston Oilers, Munchak spent three seasons as an offensive assistant/quality control coach. He became the offensive line coach in 1997 and held that position for 14 years. Four of his linemen totaled 10 Pro Bowl invitations, and his offensive lines paved the way for five different running backs to total 11 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
In 2001, Munchak became the fifth franchise player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He earned nine Pro Bowl invitations during his career and was bestowed the honor of having his Oilers No. 63 jersey retired in 1996.
Titans Caravan began in 1998 as a small effort to spread goodwill through the region. This year, six full-time staffers will travel to 50 total stops with Titans players and T-Rac through the Mid-South on a specially-decorated motor coach provided by Grand Avenue. Since 1998, Titans Caravan has made over 700 stops, traveled approximately 50,000 miles, visited close to 300 schools and allowed the team to interact directly with an estimated audience well in excess of 100,000 fans.
