NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A new scheme won't make a ton of difference if the players don't trust, believe or understand the man running it. That's true for every NFL team and it will be an important factor as the Tennessee Titans search for the 19th head coach in franchise history.

Titans general manager Jon Robinson is well-equipped to make these decisions, and the fan base has every reason to be confident he'll choose the right person to take the team to the next level. Robinson has to know the pressure is on him now.

So while much of the interview process will rightfully be focused on how to improve Marcus Mariota's development and maximize the talent that Robinson provides, just as much talk should be on maintaining, rekindling and strengthening the Titans' culture.

It's a good sign that Robinson is interviewing Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel and Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, two men lauded for their leadership and player-relation abilities at their current jobs. That shows Robinson values those things, too.

Firing Mike Mularkey wasn't a popular move in the Titans' locker room, particularly for some of the veterans. Several players spoke up in support of Mularkey as his job security wavered over his last few weeks.

"We've had back-to-back winning seasons. We made the playoffs. We won a playoff game," nine-year NFL linebacker Brian Orakpo said the Saturday night after he played in and won his first playoff game, at Kansas City. "What more do people want? It's f---ing ridiculous."

Added tight end Delanie Walker after the Titans' season-ending loss at New England: "Mike was my position coach. I grew with him. I know the mindset that he has. I loved the man. I'm not going to sit here and lie. He gave me an opportunity. I'm glad he had the chance to be our head coach and he took us this far. It's a great opportunity to play for Mike."

The Mularkey era was plagued by an offense that underachieved. He and his staff had struggles developing players, particularly Mariota, and the offense was too inflexible, given its talent. But Mularkey did a good job of changing a locker room muddled in a losing culture after going 5-27 in 2014 and 2015 when they were, as Orakpo called it, "the armpit of the NFL." They became a team that fought for each other, and for Mularkey, and went 9-2 (including playoffs) in games decided by four points or less over the past two seasons.

It's a tricky balance between making the next step from mediocrity to championship contender without losing what got them to this point in the first place.

"That locker room is a bunch of really good guys, a bunch of guys that are extremely passionate about football, that believe in our beliefs about what Titans football is going to look like, and remaining steadfast in our approach to building the team," Robinson said.

Orakpo, Walker and many other Titans are professionals so they are unlikely to tune out the new head coach. But whoever he is has an important early responsibility to connect with this tight-knit locker room and sell it on his culture just as much as his scheme.

"I’ve got a great relationship with all the players in the locker room," Robinson said. "That’s the NFL, change happens a lot of places throughout the course of time in this league. I have an open-door policy that they can come and talk, and we can talk about things. I think that’s important."

Many players went silent on social media after the Mularkey firing, but two Titans starters privately expressed bewilderment about the move, especially after the vote of confidence from ownership that lasted eight days.

"Why though?" one player simply said.

Players aren't going to agree with every move, and it's not on Robinson to appease them either. This move says 9-7 and finishing 23rd on offense isn't good enough for the Titans. That mentality has to have the Titans fan base excited.

It will be Robinson's duty to make sure that the next coach has a strong command in the locker room -- and he seems set on finding a man who can own that CEO role as well as excel at many of the things that Mularkey didn't offensively.

Finding that combination would certainly make it a strong hire. Of course winning would help too.

"Any time you make a decision that affects the team, there's always risk involved," Robinson said. "There was risk with the trades that we made. There was risk with some of the things that we did. In the end, you try to just do what's best for the team moving forward."