The Titans turned to one of the AFC’s top offenses from recent seasons for their Mike Vrabel replacement.
They’re expected to hire Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as their next head coach, according to multiple reports, as Tennessee ends a search — which featured two interviews with Callahan, including a second one Monday — that started with a surprise firing.
Callahan, on NFL staffs since 2010 and with the Bengals in his current role since 2019, helped the Bengals reach Super Bowl LVI, where they lost to the Rams, and contributed to Joe Burrow’s development into one of the league’s top quarterbacks.
He also had interviews scheduled with the Panthers and Falcons for their head-coaching vacancies, according to NFL Network.
The Bengals averaged the seventh-most points per game in 2022 and tied for the seventh-most in 2021, which marked Joe Burrow’s first full NFL season when he led all quarterbacks in completion percentage.
The Titans are expected to hire Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as their next head coach, according to ESPN. AP
Mike Vrabel was fired as the Titans’ coach following the 2023 season. Getty ImagesCallahan’s father, Bill, served as the Raiders’ coach for two seasons in 2002 and 2003, while also becoming Washington’s interim head coach after Jay Gruden was fired in 2019.
When Callahan started coaching, his first job came with the Broncos as a coaching assistant in 2010.
He worked as an offensive quality control coach in Denver for two more seasons and then an offensive assistant until 2015, but then he took quarterbacks jobs with the Lions and Raiders.
His first coordinator title followed in 2019, when Zac Taylor hired him for his new staff with the Bengals.
Brian Callahan helped develop Joe Burrow into one of the league’s top quarterbacks. APCallahan has never been a head coach before, but he’ll be tasked with helping Will Levis, who the Titans drafted in 2023, develop into their next franchise signal-caller.
In nine starts as a rookie, the second-round pick — who plummeted down draft boards and was selected far from his projections — completed 58.4 percent of his passes for eight touchdowns and four interceptions.
Brian Callahan will be tasked with developing Will Levis into the Titans’ quarterback of the future. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConThis year, though, the Titans relied on four-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry as their focal point.
He compiled another 1,000-yard season and scored 12 touchdowns, though he’ll become a free agent and could sign with another team.
If that happens, Callahan will have his first pressing challenge.
Brian Callahan turned the Bengals into a top-10 scoring offense during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. APHe’s the second consecutive first-time head coach the Titans have hired, with Vrabel also getting his first shot with the Titans following the 2017 season.
Vrabel turned the opportunity into three postseason appearances, with a run to the AFC Championship game in 2019 followed by consecutive double-digit win seasons — and consecutive early postseason exits in the wild-card and divisional rounds — and then back-to-back missed berths.
The Titans might have their quarterback who could execute a return to the playoffs.
It’ll now fall on Callahan to piece everything together.





