NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Tennessee Titans have hired Brian Callahan, the Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive coordinator for the past five seasons, as the 20th head coach in Titans history.
Callahan replaces Mike Vrabel, who coached the Titans for six seasons and finished with a 56-48 record, including the regular season and postseason.
Vrabel was relieved of his duties as head coach on Jan. 9. He has since interviewed for the head coach position with the Los Angeles Chargers and has an upcoming interview with the Atlanta Falcons.
The team announced the agreement with Callahan on Wednesday, Jan. 24:
This is an exciting time for our franchise, and we’re thrilled to have Brian as our head coach. 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.
Brian has a track record of success and a range of experience that has prepared him for this opportunity. 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.
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). 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.
During his time with the Bengals, he was trusted with a number of responsibilities—offensive design, quarterback development, a contributor to the free agency and draft processes—and showed the ability to be a resource in all of those areas. As we seek sustained success and pursue a championship, Brian has seen firsthand what that looks like, and he is the right person to lead us there.
To our fans, thank you for your support and for sticking with us. You deserve a championship team, and we’re going to get there. I can’t wait for you to get to know Brian and his family.”
Amy Adams Strunk, controlling owner of the Tennessee Titans
Callahan is coming to Nashville with 18 years of coaching experience and 14 years of NFL coaching experience. Over the course of his career, officials said Callahan has worked with some prestigious quarterbacks, including Joe Burrow in Cincinnati, Matthew Stafford in Detroit, and Peyton Manning in Denver.
Prior to coaching, Callahan attended De La Salle High School in Concord, California, where he was reportedly a part of the school’s national-record 151-game winning streak and a No. 1 national ranking.
Then, as a former walk-on quarterback at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Callahan appeared in 13 games as a holder on PATs, according to the Titans. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2006 and a master’s in education in 2008.
Here is a breakdown of his football background:
- Quarterback at UCLA from 2002-2005
- Graduate assistant at UCLA from 2006-2007
- Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Junipero Serra High School from 2008-2009
- Coaching assistant for the Denver Broncos in 2010
- Offensive quality control for the Denver Broncos from 2011-2012
- Offensive assistant for the Denver Broncos from 2013-2014
- Offensive assistant/quarterbacks coach for the Denver Broncos in 2015
- Quarterbacks coach for the Detroit Lions from 2016-2017
- Quarterbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders in 2018
- Offensive coordinators for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2019-2023
On a personal level, Callahan—whose father is a longtime NFL coach and the current offensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns—has a wife, a son, and a daughter.
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In addition to naming Callahan as head coach, the Titans said they have finalized the team’s football structure, promoting Ran Carthon to executive vice president/general manager, and Chad Brinker to president of football operations.
To read the full announcement regarding Callahan’s background before being named the Titans’ head coach, as well as the details of Carthon’s and Brinker’s promotions, click here.