Tag: Brian Callahan

Peyton Manning talks Titans’ Brian and Bill Callahan, Will Levis, more

Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning shared his thoughts on Titans head coach Brian Callahan, QB Will Levis and much more.

You’ll find few bigger fans of new Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan than Hall of Fame quarterback, Peyton Manning.

Callahan and Manning spent four years together with the Denver Broncos, which included a Super Bowl victory in 2015. Callahan served as a quality control coach and offensive assistant during his days in Denver.

Manning praised Callahan before he was even considered for the Titans gig, and he did so once again while attending the Pro Bowl Games this week.

“He’s extremely hard working, he’s smart, he’s grown up around football, he’s tough,” Manning said, per Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. “He’s been in different coaching environments – Denver, Detroit, Cincinnati, the Raiders. So, he’s seen how it works different places, and I’m sure he’s learned some things to do, and maybe what not to do.

“He has earned this opportunity, he’s paid his dues, he’s done the grunt work. He and I used to text at 1 o’clock in the morning, he was over at the complex still, breaking film down and was not leaving any time soon. I appreciated his work ethic during my time in Denver, and that is not going to leave him ever. The Titans are getting a guy who is going to give it everything he has. It looks like he is putting together a good staff, and I’m pulling hard for him.”

Manning also touched on Brian’s dad, Bill, who is set to become the Titans’ next offensive line coach. He also stated that Derrick Henry would love working with both and that he should stay in Tennessee.

“Brian Callahan would love Derrick Henry, and vice versa,” Manning said. “There’s obviously the business side that comes into play, and that’s up for (GM) Ran Carthon and his staff to decide.

“But Brian Callahan appreciates a good running game, his dad is coming over, and his dad is the best line coach in the NFL. I know he appreciates a good back. (Tennessee) would be a great place for Derrick to continue to play, in my opinion.”

Manning revealed that he spoke with Titans general manager Ran Carthon during the head-coach interview process and feels that hiring Callahan will be great for quarterback Will Levis because Callahan, who will be calling the plays, can’t be poached by another team, which creates stability.

“But now you are looking for some continuity in the system, and the good thing about Brian – I know he is calling the plays this year – is it will be the same system the entire time, and that is so critical to a quarterback.

“That’s what I had in my career, Joe Burrow is going to have the same system as long as Zac Taylor is there (in Cincinnati), so that is a real plus for any young quarterback, and Will will benefit from that.

“It’s quarterback friendly, there’s answers on every play, and as a quarterback that is what you are looking for.”

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Watch: Brian Callahan calls Titans season-ticket holders

After being hired by the Titans, head coach Brian Callahan took some time out to call season-ticket holders to thank them.

Upon being hired by the Tennessee Titans, head coach Brian Callahan had a simple request for fans during his introductory press conference: make Nissan Stadium the most feared stadium in the NFL.

The group that will be most responsible for making that happen are season-ticket holders, as they are the ones who typically attend the most games.

But before they’ll have the chance to do that, Callahan took the time to reach out to season-ticket holders after getting the job to thank them for their support of the franchise he’s now leading.

You can check out the clip of Callahan making a call below.

“You know, one of the things that makes it most exciting for me is that you’ve seen so much of it,” Callahan told one member. “To be able to talk to you on the phone and just say thanks and appreciate the support and the welcome I’ve gotten here in Nashville has been incredible.

“And a lot of it’s because of the people and the fans like you that have such a passion for the organization. Just know that I don’t take it lightly and it’s one that I share with you. And I hope that we can be celebrating a bunch on Sundays and hopefully bringing some really cool moments to Nissan Stadium.”

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Titans’ Derrick Henry on Brian Callahan: ‘I’ve heard good things’

Titans RB and pending free agent Derrick Henry says he’s heard good things about head coach Brian Callahan.

While the Tennessee Titans are moving in a new direction this year with head coach Brian Callahan, it remains to be seen if the team will do the same at running back.

Derrick Henry is set to become a free agent in a month-plus and his future with the team remains murky. He was asked about that topic while at the Pro Bowl this week but didn’t shed any light on what the future holds for him.

“Any player would want to play for the organization they started with their whole career,” Henry said, per Jim Wyatt. “I think that’s a very unique and special situation, for that to be able happen.

“The whole (coaching) change, I don’t know all the details or what they’re thinking, or the plan for the team, or how they want to move forward as an organization. So we’ll have to see what happens, and I’ll leave it up to God.”

As far as the Titans’ new head coach is concerned, Henry says he has heard good things about Callahan, including from Hall of Fame quarterback, Peyton Manning, who worked with Callahan for four seasons in Denver.

“I’ve heard good things about him,” Henry said. “I’ve heard a lot of great things about Brian for sure. It’s an exciting time for the organization right now, and I wish everybody all the best.

“Peyton calls him Cally, and I’m pretty sure that’s what he wants everyone to call him,” he added. “Peyton said he’s a great coach, and that I would love him, and he would love me.

“It was good to hear him and Peyton had a special relationship, because I’m a young Peyton Manning, so I took that very serious.”

Callahan has heaped praise on Henry since taking the Titans job, and he also left the door open for Tennessee to keep the star back.

“I think a player like Derrick Henry fits in every offense,” Callahan said on 102.5 The Game. “He’s been a remarkable player, he’s been the face of the franchise here for a long time and when you think of the Tennessee Titans, you think of Derrick Henry. He’s earned that.

“If he is open to a return that fits for us, I’m never going to say no to good players. And I know that he’s been an incredible leader in this building as well, which also carries a lot of weight. You can find ways to use every player. There is no offensive system that would say ‘I don’t like to have Derrick Henry here.’

“I certainly think he’s got some gas left in the tank, too. So, we’ll see where that goes. I know he’s going to hit the market probably and try to see what’s out there for him, but I would never say no to a player like that if they would like to return here and it fits for us. I just think he’s such a fantastic person on top of it and he’s meant so much to this city, I would never just dismiss that.”

I tend to believe Henry and the Titans will part ways this offseason as the franchise looks to the future, but never say never.

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Twitter reacts to Titans hiring Nick Holz as offensive coordinator

A look at how Twitter reacted to the Titans hiring Nick Holz as offensive coordinator.

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan has reportedly made the latest addition to his staff, with the team set to hire Jacksonville Jaguars passing-game coordinator Nick Holz as offensive coordinator.

This is the fourth coaching staff hire for Callahan, who has also added his dad, Bill Callahan, as offensive line coach, Dennard Wilson as defensive coordinator and Tyke Tolbert as wide receivers coach.

Holz was the Jags’ passing-game coordinator for one season in 2023, when Jacksonville sported the No. 9 passing attack in the NFL. Prior to that, he was the offensive coordinator at UNLV for one season.

Holz has connections to both Callahan’s.

He was Brian’s high school teammate and worked with him while both were on the Raiders’ staff, and served as an offensive quality control coach and video intern under Bill at Nebraska in 2007.

Over 10 seasons with the Raiders, Holz served in several jobs, including offensive assistant (2012-14), offensive quality control coach (2015-16 and 2018-20) and assistant wide receivers coach (2017 and 2021).

While we were hyped for the other three hires, this one isn’t as exciting because Holz’s resume is a bit short for such a role.

However, it’s worth noting that he won’t be calling the plays. Further, the fact that Callahan, who has been lauded for the other hires, trusts Holz is enough for us to get behind the move.

Here’s a look at how Twitter reacted.

Titans make NFL history with hiring of Bill Callahan

The Titans made NFL history with the hiring of Bill Callahan as their offensive line coach.

The Tennessee Titans hiring Bill Callahan as their next offensive line coach, which was reported on Thursday night, is a historic move.

Of course, Bill’s son, Brian Callahan, is the head coach of the Titans, which makes this the first time in league history that a head coach has hired his father to his staff.

Upon Brian landing the Titans gig, the Callahan’s joined an exclusive club. They are the seventh father-son head-coaching duo in league history. Bill was the head coach of the then-Oakland Raiders in 2002-03.

One piece of history Titans fans won’t want to hear is that none of the sons of those duos has ever won a Super Bowl, although San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan will get another crack at it this year.

History aside, this is obviously a huge hire for the Titans. Callahan is a fantastic offensive line coach and the perfect guy to turn this ship around.

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Titans expected to hire Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson as their new DC

The Tennessee Titans are expected to hire Baltimore Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson as their new defensive coordinator

The Baltimore Ravens are losing another critical assistant coach, as Dennard Wilson is expected to be named the Tennessee Titans’ defensive coordinator.

Wilson played a vital role with the Eagles’ defensive backs for two seasons. He was a popular choice among players to earn a promotion to defensive coordinator last season before Sean Desai received the job.

Wilson and the Eagles parted ways, and he landed with Baltimore, helping the Ravens unit become one of the NFL’s best in 2023.

Wilson now gets the opportunity to run his unit under first-year head coach Brian Callahan, the Bengals’ former offensive coordinator.

Behind-the-scenes look at Brian Callahan’s first 24 hours with Titans

The Titans recently provided a behind-the-scenes look at Brian Callahan’s first 24 hours as head coach.

The Tennessee Titans hired their head coach last week in Brian Callahan, which the team made official with an introductory press conference on Thursday.

Callahan comes to the Titans after five seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals. In that time, he played a role in the development of quarterback Joe Burrow and aided in Cincy’s two trips to the AFC Championship Game, one of which led to a Super Bowl appearance.

During said presser, Callahan expressed his excitement to be the Titans’ head coach in what was no doubt a surreal and emotional moment for him.

We saw that further in this behind-the-scenes clip the Titans provided that shows Callahan’s first 24 hours after being hired by the team.

With the initial on-boarding process now over, Callahan can focus on putting together his staff, which has already begun with the Titans reportedly set to request interviews with multiple coordinator candidates.

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Grade for Titans hiring Brian Callahan as head coach

How we graded the Titans’ hire of new head coach Brian Callahan.

The Tennessee Titans desperately needed to go in a different direction with their new head coach after firing Mike Vrabel — and they did just that with the hire of Brian Callahan.

With Callahan, the Titans are going from a defensive-minded coach who was stuck in an older era of football to one who completely embraces the modern NFL.

Just look at this quote from 2023 in which Callahan talks about the importance of the passing game.

“The teams that win the most games are generally the teams that pass the ball the best,” Callahan said (H/T Mike Herndon and Paul Kuharsky). “Usually because they have really good quarterbacks and usually because they have guys that can make plays on the football outside. And so you’re seeing teams invest in that part of the game, really across the board.

“And we’re no different. We spent really two top 35 picks on receivers (Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins) and on a quarterback (Joe Burrow), so we’ve invested in it as well. I do think that that’s the shift in the league these days. The passing game has become the focal point. However, that does leave you opportunities to be really effective and efficient running the football because defenses do the same thing.”

On top of his philosophy being exactly what the Titans needed, Callahan has a ton of experience working with — and having success with — both young and older quarterbacks, thus he should be a great asset for Will Levis.

Callahan has never called plays before, but he will be doing that in Nashville. That’s great news because the Titans won’t have their play-caller poached if the offense has a good season, which ensures stability for Levis.

It remains to be seen if all this translates to sustained success for Levis and the Titans, but there’s no question they checked all the boxes they needed to with the hire of Callahan.

Grade: A

Titans’ Brian Callahan confident he can handle head coach and play-calling duties

Brian Callahan will have a lot on his plate as Titans head coach and play-caller, but he’s confident in his ability to handle all of it.

Head coach Brian Callahan will be taking on a pair of new roles with the Tennessee Titans in 2024.

On top of his head-coaching duties that require him to oversee every facet of the team, Callahan will also be the offensive play-caller. Callahan did not call the plays with the Cincinnati Bengals, although he did have a lot of input, both in game-planning and during games.

When asked about having to balance all of his new responsibilities, Callahan expressed confidence that it won’t be an issue.

“As far as my role, I’m going to take it every day as it comes, and I’m going to learn a lot as we go,” Callahan said, per Nick Suss of the Tennessean. “But I feel really confident in my ability to handle all the different parts that are asked of me on a day-to-day basis, as a play caller, as a head coach, as an offensive head coach overseeing a defense. And so, I’m incredibly confident in my ability to do that. So, that’s probably the best way I can say it.”

While handling so much might seem like a daunting task, Callahan notes that his collaborative approach to game-planning makes his life a lot easier, both during the week and in games.

“Not a big [change] at all,” Callahan said, per John Glennon of Nashville Post. “The way we worked in Cincinnati, very collaborative, I’ve worked with Zac (Taylor) 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. That’s a huge part of our next couple weeks is finding those people.

“Because when you have an offensive staff that you trust and guys do a great job with their areas of expertise — our third down, our red zone — by the time you get to Sunday, the game plan is mainly set. Now where guys earn their stripes is when you have to adjust and adapt mid-flow in a game. That’s where you have to have great people involved in the game plan. But I don’t see it as a big adjustment.”

A key word there is “adjust,” something former head coach Mike Vrabel and his staff often seemed incapable of doing, as evidenced by Tennessee being much worse in the second half of games in 2023.

Callahan calling the plays is great news, but not just because he’s a sharp offensive mind.

It also means that the Titans can’t have their play-caller poached, which can lead to instability for a young signal-caller like Will Levis. We saw that happen twice under Vrabel and it certainly didn’t help Marcus Mariota.

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Titans OC interview tracker: Latest updates on Tennessee’s search

Follow along with our interview tracker for all of the latest updates on the Titans’ offensive coordinator search.

The Tennessee Titans have begun the process of finding a new offensive coordinator after hiring new head coach Brian Callahan earlier this week.

But first things first: the Titans had to purge former head coach Mike Vrabel’s staff.

According to Paul Kuharsky, Tennessee has begun doing that with the firing of offensive coordinator Tim Kelly and others. In addition, director of football administration, John Streicher, has been let go.

The Titans don’t need a play-caller, as Callahan is set to take on that role on top of his head-coaching duties.

However, they do need someone who can provide input and help game plan, as Callahan plans to bring the collaborative approach the Cincinnati Bengals used during his time there.

With there likely to be several interviews for the job, we’re keeping all of them in one place with our offensive coordinator interview tracker, which will be updated whenever news of an interview breaks.