Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker might have final say over roster decisions, but both he and first-year general manager Mike Borgonzi will run the search for the club’s next head coach in the wake of Brian Callahan’s dismissal. As Albert Breer of SI.com reports, the duo is not waiting to begin the process and is already researching potential candidates.
Breer adds that Tennessee is not hiring a search firm to aid in the hunt. He also says Brinker and Borgonzi intend to be open-minded and will not focus on a particular “type” of coach.
It is unclear whether he simply means the Titans will consider offense- and defense-oriented coaches, or if the club’s open-mindedness will extend to candidates without previous HC experience. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the lack of success with Callahan – who had not risen above the coordinator ranks when he was hired in 2024 – makes it likely Tennessee opts for a candidate with a head coaching gig on their resume (along with “strong leadership qualities”).
Several of the names that already have been floated as potential targets, Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, do have recent experience in an HC post. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, who first reported Nagy’s and Smith’s candidacy, subsequently added Mike McCarthy and Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to the list, and those coaches have also served as bench bosses in the past (McCarthy with the Packers and Cowboys, Joseph with Denver).
However, both Rapoport and Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required) name Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo as a candidate to watch, with Russini also identifying Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver as someone who could interest Tennessee brass. Both men have interviewed for HC positions in recent history, with Anarumo earning a second interview for the Cardinals’ top job in 2023 and Weaver advancing to the second interview stage with the Saints, Falcons, and Commanders over the last two years.
Although neither Anarumo nor Weaver have landed a head coaching job yet, they could be popular interviewees in the upcoming cycle. Whether the Titans are the club to give them their first HC opportunity in light of the disastrous Callahan tenure remains to be seen, but even though Schefter says the club prefers an experienced hand, the ESPN scribe acknowledges Brinker and Borgonzi will cast a wide net in their evaluation process.
As Schefter also points out, Brinker was part of the Packers’ last HC search, which culminated in the Matt LaFleur hire. Titans assistant GM Dave Ziegler, who worked as a personnel advisor with the Saints last year, was part of New Orleans’ hunt for a new head coach after Dennis Allen was fired during the 2024 campaign. The Saints hired Kellen Moore shortly after Ziegler accepted his current job with the Titans.