Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Titans named Dave Ragone as wide receiver coach, Art Valero as assistant offensive line coach, Chet Parlavecchio as assistant special teams coach and Arthur Smith as defensive assistant/quality control.
Ragone spent three seasons as an NFL quarterback from 2003-05 with the Houston Texans. He joins the Titans after spending one season with the UFL’s Hartford Colonels as the quarterback coach. At Hartford, the team’s quarterback, Josh McCown, led the league in passer rating and touchdown passes.
Dave Ragone
Ragone has a history with the Titans new offensive coordinator Chris Palmer as he worked for him in Hartford and played for him with the Texans. In the spring of 2005, Ragone also spent time in NFL Europe with the Berlin Thunder and earned league Offensive MVP honors for his performance. He was a third-round selection by Houston in the 2003 NFL Draft after finishing his career at Louisville, where he was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year.
“Dave came in and had a really good interview with us,” said Titans head coach Mike Munchak. “He is a smart guy who Chris (Palmer) has worked with as a player and coach. He has a great understanding of offense and how it all fits together and I believe he will be a good fit for the receivers room. He will give them a different perspective and different approach to the game. There are a number of former college and pro quarterbacks that have become great wide receiver coaches and I think Dave will be another one in that group.”
Art Valero
Valero has a wide variety of offensive experience in his nine years as an NFL coach, having coached tight ends, running backs and offensive line. He joins the Titans after spending one season with the Seattle Seahawks as the assistant offensive line coach. Valero spent two years (2008-09) with the St. Louis Rams (2008, asst. head coach/running backs; 2009, asst. offensive line) and six years (2002-07) with Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002-03, tight ends; 2004-05, running backs; 2006-07, asst. head coach/running backs).
Valero has 21 years of college coaching experience, all as offensive line and assistant head coach. Before joining the pro ranks, he was at the University of Louisville from 1998-01 as assistant head coach/offensive line. He also spent time at Utah State (1995-97), Idaho (1990-94), New Mexico (1987-89), Long Beach State (1984-86), Iowa State (1983) and Boise State (1981-82). Valero graduated from Boise State and was a two-year letter winner as an offensive lineman.
Chet Parlavecchio
Parlavecchio joins the staff after spending more than two decades as a head high school coach in New Jersey and he led Elizabeth High School to a state title in 2006. He also spent two seasons as a linebackers coach at Temple from 1992-93. He played college football for Penn State, where he was a linebacker, co-captain and a teammate with Munchak. He was a sixth-round selection by the Green Bay Packers in the 1982 NFL Draft and played one season in the NFL in 1983, splitting time with the Packers and Rams.
“Art has a bunch of experience coaching the offensive line and will be a great resource for Bruce (Matthews) and the entire offensive staff,” said Munchak. “I have known Chet from our playing days at Penn State and we have remained in touch since then. He will bring a great deal of energy to our staff and I have always been impressed with his ability to coach and lead.”
Smith spent three years working (2007-09) for the Washington Redskins, including two years as defensive quality control coach and one year as a college scouting assistant. Last year, he worked for Ole Miss as an administrative assistant. Smith graduated from North Carolina and played offensive line before joining the coaching staff for one season (2006) as a graduate assistant.
Additionally, assistant secondary coach Tim Hauck and special teams assistant Marty Galbraith will not be retained for the upcoming season.
“I want to thank Tim and Marty for their time here as coaches and wish them the best,” said Munchak.
