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The Tennessee Titans stunned a big portion of the NFL world two weeks ago by firing head coach Mike Vrabel. Vrabel had been very successful through his first four seasons with the team, making the playoffs in three of four seasons and winning 41 of 65 games.
But two straight losing seasons in 2022 and 2023, plus a seeming rift and differing philosophy with the front office led to his dismissal. Vrabel’s teams have always relied heavily on the running game and playing stout defense to win close games, a formula that is becoming a bit outdated in today’s league.
Who is Brian Callahan, the new Tennessee Titans HC?
With fans clamoring for Tennessee owner Amy Adams Strunk to hire an offensive-minded head coach to replace Vrabel, AAS has given in and is steering her franchise in a new direction by hiring Brian Callahan.
Callahan has spent the past five seasons as the Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive coordinator, having joined the team along with Cincy head coach Zac Taylor in 2019. The two have overseen a dramatic shift in the franchise’s fortunes, which lines up with the additions of quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
The two helped craft an explosive offense that led them to the Super Bowl and AFC Championship game in consecutive seasons. In 2023, Callahan was forced to make do without Burrow and turned Jake Browning – who had never played in a non-preseason NFL game before – into a more-than-serviceable starter. That’s good news for second-year starter Will Levis in Tennessee.
Before joining Cincinnati, Callahan spent time coaching a Peyton Manning-led offense in Denver, then was the quarterbacks coach for Matthew Stafford in Detroit and Derek Carr in Oakland. His father, Bill Callahan, has coached in college and the NFL since 1980 and has head coaching experience in both.
