Ken Whisenhunt to coach Titans

— -- Ken Whisenhunt has accepted an offer to become the next coach of the Tennessee Titans, the team announced Monday.

"This is a big day for this franchise," Titans president/CEO Tommy Smith said in a statement. "Ken is a well-respected coach in this league and I am looking forward to seeing his vision become reality for this team."

Whisenhunt was completing his duties Monday as the San Diego Chargers' offensive coordinator after the team was eliminated Sunday in the AFC divisional round by the Denver Broncos. The Detroit Lions had planned to send their team plane to San Diego in an effort to further evaluate Whisenhunt, but sources say Whisenhunt asked them to put those plans on hold until he was finished with his season-ending business with the Chargers.

Once he was finished, talks between Whisenhunt and the Titans moved toward a potential deal. Earlier Monday, Smith had brought Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to Houston for a second interview.

The Titans offered $1 million more annually to Whisenhunt than the Lions did, a source told ESPN.

Whisenhunt has previous head-coaching experience, having gone 45-51 during a six-year stint with the Arizona Cardinals that saw the team make its only appearance in a Super Bowl.

The Titans said they will have a news conference Tuesday to formally introduce Whisenhunt.

With Whisenhunt out of the mix, the Lions reached a deal Tuesday with Jim Caldwell to be their new head coach.

Former Colts head coach Tony Dungy spoke with Lions vice chairman Bill Ford Jr. earlier Monday to reaffirm strong attributes he believes Caldwell would bring to the Lions. Caldwell coached under Dungy while with the Bucs and Colts before succeeding him in Indy.

"I already had told [Lions GM] Martin Mayhew that Caldwell is a great match for a team that has the personnel of being capable of playing in the Super Bowl," Dungy said. "I think the Lions were not only impressed with Jim's interview but they were pleasantly surprised by the number of former Colts players who called on his behalf. Jim made Peyton Manning an even better quarterback -- look at the numbers and wins -- and I think he can do the same for Matthew Stafford.

"I know the Lions also want discipline and good character in the locker room. I'm not saying their other candidates can't achieve those things, but those are Jim's strengths with his background, especially from his influence under Joe Paterno at Penn State and hopefully in our program in the NFL."

The Lions also had had a former Paterno player, ex-Titans coach Mike Munchak, high on their list. Sources said they were "pleasantly surprised" with Munchak's plan, presence and leadership. The Cleveland Browns were in Tennessee on Monday to interview Munchak for their vacancy.

Whisenhunt, 51, was viewed as the leading candidate for the Lions but both sides wondered whether it was an ideal match, including Whisenhunt's preference to run a 3-4 defense with players who had been drafted primarily for a 4-3 scheme.

Whisenhunt was strongly impressed with the Titans and the potential working relationship with GM Ruston Webster even though the team has questions at quarterback, whereas the Lions have an established, productive passer in Stafford.

Former Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak also interviewed with the Lions.

Zimmer will have his second interview with the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday, and he is considered a front-runner for that job, sources said.

ESPN.com Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky contributed to this report.