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NASHVILLE, Tenn. –** The search for the next Titans head coach is under way.

Titans general manager Jon Robinson said during a press conference on Monday the team "will begin the search immediately" to replace head coach Mike Mularkey, but he gave no timetable on when a hire might be made.

Earlier on Monday, Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk announced the team had decided to part ways with Mularkey.

"Our goal remains the same: We are committed to our fans, to bring a championship home to this great city and state," Robinson said. "These decisions are never easy, yet Amy and I remain steadfast and the most important thing is the team, and putting our players in position to maximize their ability in all three phases of the game. I am very proud of the success we have had over the last two seasons and look forward to working with our new head coach and moving us closer to and ultimately winning a championship.

"I am looking forward to working with whoever the next head coach is and building upon what we have going here, and going forward with it. We are going into (the process) when no preconceived notions. We have a vision for what we want the next head coach to look like, and we are looking forward to talking to candidates and seeing if they fit that bill."

Robinson said the decision was made on Monday morning, when Mularkey was informed of the team's decision. He said a "lot of factors" went into the organization's decision to go in a different direction. Robinson said "it was not an easy decision" or "a gratifying decision for me."

Robinson said the Titans have already started the process of identifying candidates. He expects to have a strong input on who the next head coach will be, but reminded Strunk owns the team and she'll make the final call. Titans president/CEO Steve Underwood will also take part in the interviews, Robinson said, and he was with Robinson when Mularkey was informed of the decision this morning.

"Leader of men, obviously the things that are stamped out there in those pillars – team first, detailed, tough, dependable, and one that is going to maximize the abilities of the players in all three phases of the game," Robinson said when asked about the qualities he's looking for in a head coach.

"We've started the search this morning, going through names and bios and we're starting to build the list of potential candidates. … We don't have a set number on how many (candidates) we would like to talk to. We'll talk to as many as it takes to get the right guy to lead this team moving forward. There's not a set number on candidates. We want the right man for the job."

Mularkey was named head coach of the Titans on January 16, 2016. He served as interim coach for the final five games of the 2015 season.

The Titans went 9-7 in back-to-back seasons, and made it to the playoffs in 2017. The Titans lost in the AFC divisional playoffs on Saturday to the Patriots.

Questions about the development of quarterback Marcus Mariota and the team's inconsistent offense were persistent throughout the course of the season, however.

"I think we've done a lot of good things here over the last two years. I just felt like we needed to go a different direction and maximize the skill sets of the players. I think this boils down to doing what we think is best for the football team moving forward, and taking the next step," Robinson said. "At the end of the day, we felt like we needed to go down a different path to move forward."

Robinson said the Titans have a talented roster, and he's optimistic about the future.

"I love our fans, and I think I made that abundantly clear in my opening statement when I was sitting here less than two years ago (when I was hired) about what this team means to me, what this city means to me and what this state means to me," Robinson said. "There is nothing more that I want for our fans than to bring a championship here, and I feel like it is my charge to put the team in the best position to do that."