Tag: Callahan

Tennessee Titans Head Coach Brian Callahan addresses the media after being introduced by Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024.

New Titans coach Brian Callahan ready to call plays for QB Will Levis

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Brian Callahan has been around some great quarterbacks in his 14 years as an NFL assistant coach.

As he takes over as head coach of the Tennessee Titans and starts calling plays for the first time, he is hoping second-year quarterback Will Levis becomes something akin to Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford or Joe Burrow.

“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be around great players, and those guys all bring something different and unique,” Callahan said in his introductory press conference Thursday.

He said taking over an offense that features Levis, a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, “is attractive. I thought that Will was a really good player coming out of (Kentucky), and I thought when you watched him play this year you saw growth. …

“I saw a lot of really positive things, some of the throws, some of his competitive instincts that he put on tape were really impressive. So I’m excited to dive more into that and how can he get better from Year 1 to Year 2 and keep putting him in position to find success so we can score some points on offense.”

In nine starts in 2023, Levis produced three wins and completed 58.4 percent of his passes for 1,808 yards with eight touchdown passes and four interceptions.

Callahan, 39, had been the offensive coordinator for the Bengals since 2019, but head coach Zac Taylor had called plays in Cincinnati. So this will be the first time Callahan has full control of an offense. He said it won’t be a big transition.

“The way we worked in Cincinnati (was) very collaborative,” he said. “I’ve been with Zac for five years, working with him as the primary play-caller and me as the offensive coordinator. I feel really great about the process. Part of that is bringing in great people to help me. And that’s a huge part of our next couple weeks is finding those people. … It’s going to be a collaborative approach on offense.”

Callahan also said he had an “instant connection” with general manager Ran Carthon.

“Just the connection from the get-go was incredible, and I knew that it was going to be a place that I wanted to call home,” said Callahan, who coached as an assistant in Denver, Detroit and Oakland before arriving in Cincinnati.

“I was about to make an impassioned plea to Ran as our meeting was concluding on Monday evening, and it turns out I didn’t have to do that. They wanted me about exactly the same way that I wanted them. Everything felt right.”

–Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) drops back to throw as Bengals coach Zac Taylor, left, and new offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher observe at the practice fields next to Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.

Bengals promote QB coach Dan Pitcher to fill OC role

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher was officially promoted to offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, the same day the Tennessee Titans introduced new head coach Brian Callahan.

Callahan had been the coordinator under head coach Zac Taylor in Cincinnati since 2019.

“I’m excited for Dan and his opportunity to increase his role on our staff,” Taylor said Thursday. “He has excelled in his job of helping develop our quarterbacks over the past five years. He has been a top contributor to our scheme and that role will now increase. I look forward to seeing him continue to grow in this new position.”

The 37-year-old Pitcher was a hot commodity this month.

At least four other teams requested to interview Pitcher for their offensive coordinator position, including the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders.

“I couldn’t be more excited and energized by this opportunity,” Pitcher said. “I love this organization and am so grateful to Mike Brown, the Brown and Blackburn families, Duke Tobin and Zac Taylor. That they see me fit for this responsibility means the world to me, and I will work tirelessly to provide every ounce of value I can to this team. My wife Marissa, son Oliver and I love that we get to continue our journey in this great city. Who Dey!”

–Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan takes questions during the Cincinnati Bengals annual preseason media luncheon at Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Monday, July 26, 2021. Cincinnati Bengals Media Day

Titans hire Brian Callahan as coach, promote Ran Carthon

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Tennessee Titans hired Brian Callahan as head coach and promoted Ran Carthon to executive vice president and general manager on Wednesday.

The Titans also promoted Chad Brinker to president of football operations to complete sweeping changes in the organizational structure following a 6-11 season.

Callahan, the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals since 2019, had his second interview with the team on Monday. He replaces Mike Vrabel, who was fired after six seasons with a 54-45 record.

“This is an exciting time for our franchise, and we’re thrilled to have Brian as our head coach,” said Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk. “We went through a thorough candidate search and Brian stood out as the best person to lead our football team. I want to thank the other candidates who were part of this process and wish them well moving forward.”

The Titans also interviewed Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald and Las Vegas Raiders then-interim coach Antonio Pierce.

The Raiders since hired Pierce as their permanent head coach.

“Brian has a track record of success and a range of experience that has prepared him for this opportunity,” Adams Strunk continued. “His football knowledge and his enthusiasm for the game really stand out, and beyond that, we think his ability to lead will make him the ideal fit for our franchise.”

Callahan, 39, is the son of former Oakland Raiders and Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan, currently the offensive line coach of the Cleveland Browns. Before joining Cincinnati, Brian Callahan coached quarterbacks with the Raiders (2018) and Detroit Lions (2016-17) and was an assistant with the Denver Broncos (2010-15).

“If you look at his history, Brian has been a part of a Super Bowl winning team (Denver, 2015) and another team that advanced to the Super Bowl (Cincinnati, 2021),” Adams Strunk said. “He’s worked in a variety of dynamic offenses with top-flight quarterbacks. At each step of his career, he’s shown the flexibility and intelligence to make an impact.”

In 2022, Cincinnati ranked eighth in total offense (360.5 yards per game) and seventh in scoring offense (26.1 points per game). The Bengals took a step back in 2023 as Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury in November.

Carthon was hired as Tennessee’s GM in January 2023 and now adds the executive VP title, while Brinker had been the assistant GM since February after 13 seasons with the Green Bay Packers organization.

The team said Carthon’s duties will include roster control, team activities, personnel decisions (including draft and free agency acquisitions), oversight of Callahan and his coaching staff, scouting, sports medicine and player engagement.

Brinker’s new role is a new one for the organization, too. His day-to-day responsibilities will include direct oversight of the football departments that address salary cap management; analytics and strategy; communications and information systems; and team operations including security, video, equipment and grounds.

–Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan takes questions during the Cincinnati Bengals annual preseason media luncheon at Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Monday, July 26, 2021. Cincinnati Bengals Media Day

Chargers complete interview with Bengals OC Brian Callahan

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Los Angeles Chargers interviewed Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan for their vacant head coaching position on Tuesday.

Callahan completed his fifth season directing the Cincinnati offense in 2023, a tenure that includes a trip to Super Bowl LVI and two AFC Championship Game appearances.

The Bengals finished 9-8 but missed the playoffs this season after losing starting quarterback Joe Burrow to a season-ending wrist injury in mid-November. Cincinnati finished 16th in scoring offense (21.5 points per game) and 22nd in total offense (318.9 yards per game) in 2023, down from seventh and eighth, respectively, in 2022.

Callahan, 39, is the son of former Oakland Raiders head coach Bill Callahan. Brian Callahan coached the Raiders’ quarterbacks in 2017 after holding the same position with the Detroit Lions from 2016-17.

Callahan also has interviewed for openings with the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans. He also is slated to interview with the Carolina Panthers later this week.

The Chargers fired head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco on Dec. 15.

The Chargers met with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh on Monday and have also interviewed San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken and defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and two internal candidates — interim head coach Giff Smith and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

–Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo writes notes during a joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, at the Paycor Stadium practice fields in Cincinnati. Los Angeles Rams At Cincinnati Bengals Joint Practice Aug 24 0073

Reports: Cardinals request interviews with Bengals’ coordinators

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort is making good on a promise to cast a wide net in Arizona’s search for a new head coach.

Ossenfort requested interviews with Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and offensive coordinator Brian Callahan. Callahan is also in the mix with the Indianapolis Colts and interviewed twice with the team.

The visit would mark the second head-coaching interview for Anarumo, who joined the Bengals along with Callahan in 2019. Anarumo interviewed with the New York Giants last year before Brian Daboll was named coach.

Arizona is “resetting” its coaching search, NFL Network reported, as the Cardinals seek a replacement for fired head coach Kliff Kingsbury.

A departure of any top assistant coaches would be the first for the Bengals since Zac Taylor arrived four years ago. Cincinnati appeared in a second consecutive AFC Championship Game on Sunday.

“He’d be a great head coach,” Taylor said of Anarumo. “He’s extremely smart. He’s got the players best interest in mind. Every week is a challenge. He never blinks; I know the players feel that from him, I feel that from him.”

Bengals safety Vonn Bell said Anarumo, 56, commands respect through his organization, communication style and consistent results. Bell dubbed his defensive coordinator “The Mad Scientist.”

“I think that he’s super detailed in being able to have conversations face to face of what he’s expecting on what he calls when he calls a certain call,” safety Jessie Bates said of Anarumo. “He explains why he’s calling it. That’s what makes him really good he’s just into the details.”

Callahan, 38, is the son of former Raiders and Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan, who is currently offensive line coach of the Cleveland Browns.

He’s not the playcaller for the Bengals — Taylor handles that role — but the head coach said he entrusts Brian Callahan to prepare the passing game plan before they meet and finalize their weekly game strategy.

“You do oversee the offensive staff, the entire offense,” Callahan said. “The players. You interact with all of the different players. Having to build relationships with the receivers, tight ends, the linemen. Then the administrative part of being a coordinator. How you manage the roster spots, the draft process. There’s a management part of being in the coordinator role that you don’t get that experience as a position coach. So, I think it’s benefited me tremendously to have those experiences for someday if I get a chance to become a head coach that I’ve got more manager-type experience than if you were just coaching a position.”

The Cardinals are coming off of a 4-13 finish and have conducted interviews with former Saints coach Sean Payton, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Steelers assistant head coach Brian Flores and Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

Flores worked with Ossenfort when both were in the New England Patriots’ organization.

Quinn plans to remain with the Cowboys as defensive coordinator. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson turned down the opportunity to interview and will return to Detroit for 2023.

–Field Level Media