Tag: Callahan

Next Titans coach? Five names to watch

Posted on | by Field Level Media

With one win in six games, Tennessee is searching for a new head coach after firing Brian Callahan on Monday.

Callahan was hired to replace Mike Vrabel and posted a 3-14 record last season before the Titans opted to fire general manager Ran Carthon.

Under a new power structure headed by team president Chad Brinker and general manager Mike Borgonzi, the Titans used the No. 1 overall pick to draft quarterback Cam Ward in April.

Even with Ward, the franchise is clearly in the throes of a rebuilding project.

Borgonzi’s background during 14 years in scouting with the Chiefs can help connect some of the dots in the coaching search, but this front office is anything but usual — or predictable.

Before the Vrabel firing, the Titans gave GM Jon Robinson the boot.

Will the next coach-GM pairing bring harmony to Nashville?

Here are five names to know as the Titans begin their search:
–Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo
Age was a concern Spagnuolo discussed as a perceived road block to his return to a top NFL coaching job prior to the Super Bowl last year, a lopsided loss to the Eagles.

But “Spags” is one of the coaches on the list with a deep history and detailed understanding of Borgonzi, and vice versa, from their time together in Kansas City.

In the case of the Titans, experience might become his trump card.

A defensive coordinator for six Super Bowl participants and a coach in seven Super Bowls in his career, Spagnuolo has four rings.

But he was 10-38 as head coach of the Rams from 2009-11 and 1-3 as interim coach of the Giants in 2017.

–Chiefs OC Matt Nagy
Nagy has experience as a head coach and is from the Andy Reid coaching tree. At 47, he’s 18 years younger than Spags and has head-coaching experience.

Nagy coached the Bears from 2018-21 before returning to the Chiefs’ staff.

–Giants OC Mike Kafka
When the Chiefs drafted a first-round quarterback to learn and develop while Alex Smith ran the offense, it was Kafka’s job to help Patrick Mahomes prepare each week. Like the others above him on the list, Kafka knows Borgonzi. As a college quarterback at Northwestern — Brinker earned his MBA in Evanston — he sees the game through the eyes of the quarterback.

Now Kafka, 38, is the lead tutor of first-round pick Jaxson Dart as offensive coordinator of the Giants.

–Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury
The 46-year-old Kingsbury has been central in the development of 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels and previously was head coach of the Arizona Cardinals when Kyler Murray entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick in 2019.

In 2017 when Borgonzi was assisting the Chiefs’ research and scouting of Mahomes, he was in regular contact with Texas Tech’s head coach and play-caller — Kingsbury.

–Mike McCarthy
The former Cowboys head coach has significant ties to Brinker from their days together in the Packers’ organization. Brinker broke into the NFL as a scouting intern in 2009 and became an executive with scouting and salary cap responsibilities before the Titans came calling.

McCarthy, 61, coached some of the best quarterbacks to play the game — Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Dak Prescott — and is currently unemployed and untethered contractually.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan talks to quarterback Cam Ward (1) in the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Titans coach Brian Callahan: ‘Everything is on the table’

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Titans head coach Brian Callahan said “everything is on the table” as Tennessee prepares for Week 5.

Tennessee is 3-18 since hiring Callahan to replace Mike Vrabel at the end of the 2023 season. He gave up offensive play-calling after the Titans began 0-3 and said he spent more time Sunday talking to players on both sides of the ball.

“When you are 0-4, sort of everything is always on the table. Try to improve, find a place to win,” Callahan said. “I think if you sit back and say everything’s great, well, it’s not. We’re 0-4. We’ve got to do some things better. Do better, put ourselves in better spots.”

Callahan said “it doesn’t matter” when asked if he was given any assurance he would be allowed to finish the season with the team. He said that would be his expectation.

“I also know how the NFL works,” Callahan said. “I think we’re running the ball well. I think there have been some really good things defensively. I hate to say anything has been good enough to this point. We’re 0-4. We’ve got to do more of it, and more of it more often.”

Callahan said he’s been pleased with the fight from No. 1 pick Cam Ward at quarterback. He pushed back on the notion Ward is regressing, pointing to his response during the second half of the loss to the Colts in Week 3.

After Sunday’s loss, Ward said the team was “ass” after a 26-0 beatdown at the hands of the Texans. The Titans have been outscored by an NFL-worst total margin of 69 points.

“If we keeping a buck right now, we ass,” Ward said. “We 0-4. At this point we got nothing to lose. We dropped a quarter of our f—ing games and we’ve yet to do anything. So we have to lock in. Especially myself. From the offensive line, from the defensive line, from the special teams to all three phases we have to play together. We have not played together this year yet …”

The Titans are last in the NFL in yards per game since Callahan was hired.

“I think what everyone is learning about Cam is he cares a tremendous amount. That’s what he cares about,” Calllahan said. “He wants nothing more than to play well and to win.”

Ward operated without wide receiver Calvin Ridley (illness) at Houston and completed 10 of 26 passes for 108 yards with an interception.

“It’s hard to play quarterback in the NFL,” Callahan said. “He’s had to learn some hard lessons, I think. He’s also incredibly willing and incredibly passionate about trying to do things the way you need to do it. … He’s only going to get better the more he sees those things. … You don’t just arrive in the NFL a perfect product like that.”

–Field Level Media

Jul 23, 2025; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree watches during training camp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Brian Callahan hands Titans’ play-calling duties to QB coach

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Titans head coach Brian Callahan is passing play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree.

Callahan is just 3-17 in his tenure with Tennessee, including an 0-3 start this season heading into Sunday’s game at Houston (0-3).

“It’s a pretty easy thing to do when trying to help the football team win,” Callahan said Tuesday. “They hired me to be the head coach — and part of that process was being involved in the offense — but my job is to be the head coach of the football team and I think that this (change) allows me to do that job a little bit better, pay more attention to some things that might require my attention and be more present. We’re 0-3. We’re trying to get better.”

Callahan said Tuesday morning he would step back from the in-game play-calling role but will help formulate game plans and have input during the game along with offensive coordinator Nick Holz.

Hardegree, 41, was hired as Tennessee’s quarterbacks coach in 2024 and interviewed to be offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears in the offseason. He crossed paths with Callahan as a quality control coach with the Broncos in 2014. Callahan was an offensive assistant in Denver.

“I lean on him a lot, trust him. He is a really, really good quarterbacks coach,” Callahan said of Hardegree at the NFL Scouting Combine. “There’s two parts to coaching: obviously the schematic part, and the position coaching part, technique and details and fundamentals. I think Bo is excellent at both. I don’t think Bo is going to be with us forever. I think he is going to be calling plays, and I think Bo will be a head coach at some point, too. He’s an excellent football coach.

Hardegree has NFL play-calling experience when he served as interim offensive coordinator for the final nine games of the 2023 season with the Las Vegas Raiders.

–Field Level Media

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan looks on during the fourth quarter as they play the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025.

Titans remain undecided at No. 1, not rushing decision

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Titans coach Brian Callahan claimed the franchise is undecided on plans for the No. 1 overall pick in the draft and insists Tennessee is open to trade offers less than a month before their selection is made.

Callahan pointed to plans on the team calendar for the Colorado pro day, where they’ll finalize assessments of wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders as part of the final phase of their draft process.

“We’re going to do our due diligence,” Callahan said Monday at the NFL’s annual spring meeting in Palm Beach, Fla. “Whatever we’re doing doesn’t have to do with any specific player. I wouldn’t say it precludes anybody. We’re just making sure the process is done the right way.”

Miami quarterback Cam Ward is considered the most likely option for the Titans. Callahan, entering his second season with the Titans, was with the Cincinnati Bengals when the franchise picked Joe Burrow first overall in 2020.

“We’re open to everything at this point,” Callahan said. “If it’s something you feel is beyond the value you ever thought you could get that’s one thing. But you also have to look at what a potential quarterback could look like. Those guys, to me, are priceless.”

Ward’s pro day was his third known gathering with Titans’ officials, who also met with him at the NFL Scouting Combine in February and hosted him in Nashville in March. Callahan said they’ve also scheduled another video call with Ward to exhaust all available options.

Even with Colorado’s pro day ahead on Friday, general manager Mike Borgonzi disclosed at the combine that the Titans had already set their draft board with “only small moves” up or down likely because of the amount of film study and research the scouting staff had done on the class.

Borgonzi, groomed by the Chiefs the past 15 years and part of the organization when Patrick Mahomes was selected, spoke highly of Ward and Hunter. He has not indicated the door is closed on holdover quarterback Will Levis. However, Callahan and Borgonzi have been careful not to commit to Levis, either.

The head coach and GM were part of the Titans’ contingent that also included offensive coordinator Nick Holz at Ward’s pro day.

–Field Level Media

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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