Veteran NFL reporter Ian Rapaport is typically the picture of calm while reporting on NFL Network. He sang a different tune on Friday night when discussing some recent comments made by former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Mularkey.

The former Titans boss indicated to the Brandon Austin show on Action Sports how he intentionally told Rapoport he was getting a new contract when in fact Mularkey knew he was about to be fired.

“Pretty funny for them, I guess, if you don’t care about accuracy and taking somebody’s reputation and rubbing it in the mud,” Rapoport told NFL Network on Friday evening. “Everyone said Mike Mularkey is a good guy. He always was to me. I liked him, thought he was very respectable.”

Rapoport admitted he released the news of Mularkey’s new extension across social media in January of 2018. When the coach was ultimately fired the next day, his credibility was dented.

“That was not cool,” the reporter continued. “Not funny. I was a younger reporter then. The amount of online hate and ridicule I got because Mike Mularkey thought it’d be funny to get back at his old boss, it was not fun.”

“I don’t blame Mike Mularkey, but I want to. That was not cool, and it was not funny. We should treat truth better than that.”

Head coach Mike Mularkey of the Tennessee Titans celebrates with Marcus Mariota #8 after a touchdown in the first half during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers

Mularkey (R) ran a stale “smashmouth offense” during his 2+ years in charge of the Titans ( 

Image:

Getty Images)

Mularkey was named Titans’ interim head coach midway through the 2015 season. The offensive mind was tasked with restarting a struggling offense shepherded by 2015 second-overall pick Marcus Mariota.

He led the team to consecutive 9-7 seasons a road playoff win over the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017 – memorable for Mariota’s touchdown pass to himself – yet lost his job thanks to an embarrassing postseason defeat to the New England Patriots. He famously ran what he deemed was a “smashmouth offense.”

“Then I got a tip from a very trusted, reliable source that he was actually getting a contract extension after the playoff run,” Rapoport said. “I reported it, then he was fired the next day.”

“I knew they were gonna fire me, so Sunday night I called Ian Rapoport and said hey I don’t know if you know this but I’m gonna break it to you, but I’m getting a new contract in the morning.” Mularkey boastfully admitted on the Brandon Austin Show.

“He reported it, it was all over the country, knowing that I was gonna get fired. I just wanted to see the face of the owner, the GM who was out to get me…. I’m pretty sure I got them for a minute or two.”

Rapaport has worked with NFL Network since 2012 and is hailed as one of the premier reputable sources in the industry. Mularkey has not coached another NFL game.