Inside Access with Cole Horan of the Tennessee Titans

Here at NFL Weekends, we work directly and closely with all our suppliers, and the NFL Teams that we go to visit are no different.

James had the huge pleasure of speaking to Cole Horan of The Tennessee Titans – Cole is an Executive in the Group Sales Department at the Nissan Stadium. We talk to Cole about his career, what it is like to work within an NFL Franchise, the Titans, the city of Nashville and more.

”The away fans travel in their numbers here but it always remains a friendly rivalry that really adds to the whole experience”

Hey Cole, so how did you get to working for the Titans? Please tell us a bit about your career to date.

I went to college in Cleveland, Ohio and studied Sports Management, I then went to South Florida to work for the Miami Heat in the NBA and then onto the New Jersey Devils in the NHL for 2 years. But, the NFL has always been my goal and to have the opportunity to come down to Nashville and work for the Titans in a similar role was one I was never going to pass up.

Now, the dreaded Coronavirus – I don’t expect you to pull out a crystal ball, but what are your thoughts on Season 2021?

We are super positive and are planning for a full Nissan Stadium come September. There is a huge collective drive to get this vaccine circulated and given our season is 8 months away, this works enormously in our favour.

A day in the life of Cole Horan at the Titans?

We are lucky enough to be based in the Stadium itself and have some beautiful offices here, the day is a mix of business development and following up on leads. We work with schools, clubs, travel companies, individuals, corporate clients and so on – it’s a rewarding and varied job.

What’s your role on gameday?

I am liaising with the various groups that I have there for the game, ensuring they are happy and enjoying everything we have on offer here at The Nissan Stadium. Personally, it’s great as I get to see the game from lots of different places and meet so many different and interesting people. For an NFL fan, it’s pretty much a dream job!

It’s been a tight and thrilling season at the top end of the AFC South, what is your prediction for the Ravens @ Titans playoff?

31-28 to the Titans. We have a great chance this year, you can’t look very far past the Chiefs who are deserved favourites, but if they slip up then don’t bet against the Titans to swoop in for the Superbowl, you heard it here first!

Who do you most admire for the Titans right now and why?

Ryan Tanehill is a fantastic leader, AJ Brown is just so explosive and Kevin Byard locks down the back end so well and consistently…and that’s without even mentioning Derrick Henry!

Where outside of Nashville would you most like to go to next year? For example, I have never been a Bills game-day, and would love to spend a day with the Bills Mafia.

The new SoFi Stadium in LA looks absolutely epic, and it’s a mission of mine to experience a game there some day soon!

Do you have any tips on how to best enjoy an NFL Game-day at the Nissan Stadium?

A unique factor about our stadium is that it is downtown, so take The Pedestrian Bridge to or from the game from or onto Broadway and there is so much fun to be had. I advise on bar hopping before the game, I love Tootsies as does everyone, it’s an institution here. Jason Aldeans rooftop bar is a fantastic time too. Go steady though and don’t spoil the rest of your day!

As you know, ‘soccer’ as you know it is the national sport over here – do you follow the Premier League (I can’t bring myself to call it the EPL, sorry!). If so, who is your team?

Manchester City. I started watching them before the famous ‘Agueroooooooo’ moment in 2012 and have followed their successes since.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Are we speaking to the future Tennessee Titans or even Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager or CEO? (Cole hails from Pittsburgh originally).

Chief Revenue Officer at the Titans is my end goal, I have a 10 year plan and excited for the years ahead with this awesome franchise.

After Xavier Howard and Fitzmagic, Derrick Henry is my current favourite NFL star, he is a phenomenon! Have you met the great man?

Not yet! Hoping for next season when the restrictions are lifted, but we get some good access to the players, especially on training days so that is another real perk of the job here.

Finally, what kind of experience are our NFL Weekends guests in for on Titans gameday?

Your guests are in for a real treat! It’s a very fun time that will be action packed and like no other experience across the league. Like I said, ensure to spend plenty of time on Broadway getting that full taste of Nashville authenticity. Once more, you get to watch a top football team vying for the highest honours with some genuine superstars. Finally, due to the popularity of Nashville as a destination, the away fans travel in their numbers here but it always remains a friendly rivalry that really adds to the whole experience.

Thank you Cole for being such a great sport and giving a fascinating insight into day to day life at the Titans. Cole will be with us on game-days in 2021 and ensuring everything runs smoothly, and most importantly, you, the guest is having the best time possible at the Nissan Stadium, Nashville!