Tag: Brian Callahan

Ranking the Colts’ head coaching candidates after first interviews

With the first round of interviews complete, he’s a ranking of the Colts’ head coach candidates thus far.

The Indianapolis Colts have gotten through their first round of interviews as they search for a new head coach entering the 2023 season.

The process is going to take as long as it takes, but the Colts seem to be leaning on the thorough side of the search when it comes to the number of candidates. We’ve got you covered with the latest updates in the coaching search via our tracker.

In total, the Colts have interviewed 13 candidates since the end of the regular season, two of which were in-house interviews (Bubba Ventrone, Jeff Saturday). One candidate, DeMeco Ryans, was scheduled to interview but canceled/postponed it as the San Francisco 49ers were preparing for their playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys. It isn’t clear if the interview will take place.

The Colts also interviewed Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, but he informed the team he’s remaining with his current role.

The search includes a wide variety of minds. There seems to be no emphasis on either side of the ball, and several of the candidates have experience working both with offense and defense.

As the Colts look to finalize their search, here’s a ranking of the candidates following the first round of interviews.

Colts complete head coach interview with Brian Callahan

The Colts completed their interview with Bengals OC Brian Callahan on Friday.

The Indianapolis Colts completed their head coach interview with Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, the team announced Friday.

This marks the 10th head coach interview the Colts have conducted since the end of the regular season. And there are still a handful more to go over the next few weeks.

You can follow along for the latest updates with the head coach search via our tracker.

Callahan, 38, would be another offensive-minded candidate to coach the Colts. He started coaching in the NFL with the Denver Broncos in 2010 as a coaching assistant. He then moved up to offensive quality control for two seasons (2011-2012) and then to the role of offensive assistant for three seasons (2013-2015).

After his stint with the Broncos, Callahan was the quarterbacks coach for the Detroit Lions for two seasons (2016-2017) and the then-Oakland Raiders (2018).

When Zac Taylor took over as head coach of the Bengals during the 2019 offseason, he hired Callahan to be his offensive coordinator, a role he’s held for the last four seasons.

Callahan is the son of longtime NFL coach Bill Callahan, who is currently the offensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns.

The head coaching search will be led by general manager Chris Ballard, but the decision ultimately resides with owner Jim Irsay.

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Colts request interview with Bengals’ Brian Callahan

Another head coach chance for Bengals OC Brian Callahan.

Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan will get a crack at the head coach position with the Indianapolis Colts.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, the Colts requested permission to interview Callahan on Thursday.

Callahan, in his fourth year with the Bengals, has had a key role in the development of Joe Burrow and the overall offensive performance in Cincinnati. He’s been mentioned on rising head-coaching lists before and had teams previously show interest, including the Broncos.

The Colts fired Frank Reich in November and have already interviewed interim coach Jeff Saturday and completed interviews with six other names, including Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

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Colts request to interview Brian Callahan for head coach vacancy

The Colts requested to interview Bengals OC Brian Callahan for their head coach vacancy.

The Indianapolis Colts requested to interview Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan for their head coach vacancy, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

There seems to be no shortage of options when it comes to the candidates for the job under general manager Chris Ballard. With eight interviews already conducted and now five more requests, the Colts have shown interest in 13 candidates.

You can follow along for the latest updates with the head coach search via our tracker.

Callahan, 38, would be another offensive-minded candidate to coach the Colts. He started coaching in the NFL with the Denver Broncos in 2010 as a coaching assistant. He then moved up to offensive quality control for two seasons (2011-2012) and then to the role of offensive assistant for three seasons (2013-2015).

After his stint with the Broncos, Callahan was the quarterbacks coach for the Detroit Lions for two seasons (2016-2017) and the then-Oakland Raiders (2018).

When Zac Taylor took over as head coach of the Bengals during the 2019 offseason, he hired Callahan to be his offensive coordinator, a role he’s held for the last four seasons.

Callahan is the son of longtime NFL coach Bill Callahan, who is currently the offensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns.

The head coaching search will be led by general manager Chris Ballard, but the decision ultimately resides with owner Jim Irsay.

 

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Patriots’ dynamic pass rush not going unnoticed by Bengals

The Bengals are putting a big emphasis on slowing down Matthew Judon and Josh Uche.

The Cincinnati Bengals are aware of the Patriots’ dynamic pass-rushing duo ahead of Saturday’s game. Josh Uche and Matthew Judon will be put to the test, as New England’s defense gets set to take on Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Both players have compiled double-digit sack totals with Judon sitting at 14.5 sacks on the season and Uche with 10.5 sacks. Together, they form a one-two punch for New England defensively. Judon had a quieter game against Las Vegas last weekend, as he did not record a sack.

Meanwhile, Uche continued his stellar pass-rushing season with a half sack in the game.

The two have combined for 25 sacks on the season, and it’s something the Bengals will be ready for, as offensive coordinator Brian Callahan told CLNS Media’s Mike Petraglia.

“They’re as good as anybody. With Judon and Uche in double digits… Judon is playing as well as any defensive end in football,” said Callahan.

New England will need another stellar defensive effort on Saturday to put an end to their losing streak and keep their postseason hopes alive.

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Bengals’ Brian Callahan again raised as head coach candidate

More head coach hype for Brian Callahan.

For what feels like a few years now, Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan has been highlighted as a younger head coach candidate to know.

In the past, some of that has been simple connecting the dots alongside some thoughts from those around league itself.

And it’s a topic coming up again as Callahan has made the annual rising coaches to watch list from NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero:

“Bengals OC Brian Callahan, 38: The son of longtime NFL coach Bill Callahan, Brian Callahan has paved his own path in the NFL, starting in Denver, where he forged a close relationship with Peyton Manning and was part of the Super Bowl 50-winning team as an offensive assistant. Zac Taylor, who brought Callahan to Cincinnati in 2019, calls the plays, but Callahan plays a big role in game planning. The Broncos interviewed him for their head coaching job last January and Callahan impressed.”

Callahan, 38, started as an assistant in Denver in 2010 and joined the Bengals in 2019 under Zac Taylor.

While the Bengals keep things vague as to the collaboration that produces the actual schemes and play-calling on a down-to-down basis, Callahan’s work with Joe Burrow will likely keep him on lists like these for the foreseeable future.

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Joe Mixon says fired-up Brian Callahan spurred outburst vs. Panthers

Joe Mixon says a heated meeting played a role in his big game.

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Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon tore through the Carolina Panthers during Sunday’s blowout win in what seemed like at least a little bit of a response to criticism.

Mixon did the running, but he says an intense meeting with offensive coordinator Brian Callahan the day before the game played a big role.

“He had a hell of a meeting on Saturday. You could just tell the hunger and everything in his eyes and we had great preparation all week,” Mixon said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “But the way that Callahan was getting at us on Saturday, I just loved how he came in with an edge in that meeting and basically everything that he said. We made it happen today, so we spoke it into existence.”

Mixon scored a franchise record five times on Sunday, rushing for 153 yards on 22 carries (7.0 average) with four scores and added another four catches for 58 yards as a receiver.

The outburst came after weeks of criticism, including coaches calling him out for his struggles in pass blocking.

While some of those struggles will remain and future opponents won’t struggle as much as the Panthers do, the Bengals and Mixon hope they have established a bit of momentum in this area.

Either way, it’s safe to presume Callahan won’t lose that edge now.

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Bengals’ Brian Callahan says head-coaching interviews won’t hurt prep for Titans

Brian Callahan’s getting head-coaching looks but says none of that will impact Bengals’ prep for playoff game vs. Titans.

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Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan is a big name during this year’s head coach cycle.

While his Bengals have prepped for the divisional round game against the Tennessee Titans, he’s received big interest from teams like the Denver Broncos.

But Callahan stressed with ESPN’s Ben Baby that the individual chances aren’t impacting how he’s helping the Bengals prep for their big game:

“You get individual benefits from the collective success. That’s certainly where I’m at right now. It’s an honor to be included in a process like that. But I would never take anything away from my preparation for a game of this magnitude.”

That it’s Denver giving Callahan interest is a bit poetic — he was a member of the coaching staff there from 2010-2015. His involvement in helping develop Joe Burrow sure isn’t hurting things.

Given how great the offense has been in Burrow’s last three outings, it’s hard to imagine this has any greater impact, though it’s certainly a factor worth considering before the Bengals play for the right to advance to the AFC title game.

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Broncos’ updated coach interview schedule

By Saturday evening, the Broncos will have completed 10 head coach interviews.

The Denver Broncos have completed five head coach interviews so far and by Wednesday evening, the team will have completed two more.

By Saturday night, Denver will have interviewed all 10 candidates being considered for the job. Here’s an updated look at the team’s head coach interview schedule.

1. Lions DC Aaron Glenn (completed)
2. Packers QBs coach Luke Getsy (completed)
3. Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett (completed)
4. Cowboys OC Kellen Moore (completed)
5. Cowboys DC Dan Quinn (completed)
6. Patriots LBs coach Jerod Mayo (Jan. 19)
7. Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon (Jan. 19)
8. Bengals OC Brian Callahan (Jan. 20)
9. Rams OC Kevin O’Connell (Jan. 20)
10. Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy (Jan. 21)

Quinn is considered the favorite, presumably because of his experience working with Broncos general manager George Paton in the past. Quinn is also the only candidate on Denver’s list that has head coach experience.

After wrapping up their interviews this weekend, the Broncos could announce a new coach as early as next week. Denver is seeking a new coach after firing Vic Fangio at the conclusion of the 2021 season.

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Bengals’ Brian Callahan gets first head coach look from Broncos

The Bengals OC has an interview request from the Broncos.

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Not too long ago, buzz about Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan getting looks as a head coach during this hiring cycle started making the rounds.

And now they’ve come to fruition.

According to Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post, the Denver Broncos requested permission to interview Callahan for their head-coaching vacancy.

The Broncos are doing a ton of due diligence while trying to find their next head coach. But Callahan is a natural fit — he started his pro coaching career there and was an instrumental part of the offensive coaching staff from 2010-2015.

Fast forward to now, Callahan has Joe Burrow’s superb development on his resume just as the Broncos are in a position to attempt drafting another franchise passer and placing that prospect in an offense flanked by elite pieces at the skill positions.

Even if Callahan doesn’t get a job during this cycle, it’s clear how NFL teams feel about his resume.

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