Tag: Nick Holz

Titans OC Nick Holz gives more clarity on RB situation

Titans OC Nick Holz gave more clarity on how the team will use its running backs in 2024.

The Tennessee Titans made what amounted to at least a somewhat surprising move in free agency when they inked running back Tony Pollard to a three-year deal, which was one of their first reported moves.

It was surprising, not only because of the money they spent on the position ($7-plus million annually), but also because the Titans were expected to bring someone in who offered something a bit different than 2023 third-round pick, Tyjae Spears, who is very similar to Pollard.

Whatever the case may be, the question now becomes: will anyone take the reins of this backfield, or will it be a true split?

Head coach Brian Callahan failed to answer that question during the annual league meetings last month, but offensive coordinator Nick Holz gave more clarity during his first press conference of the offseason program on Wednesday.

“We see it 1A, 1B, and they’re both just gonna play a ton, get a lot of carries and let ’em roll,” Holz said, per Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com.

The good thing about having two similar backs is the Titans won’t be tipping their hand because of who is on the field, which was an issue during the Derrick Henry era.

Holz mentioned how Pollard and Spears are interchangeable and how both can operate on all three downs.

“Everyone keeps saying interchangeable, and we see it that way,” Holz said. “We don’t want any tendencies when those guys are in there. So, we think they both can have a skill set as pass catchers, skill set running the gap schemes and all the different zone schemes we are going to have. So, that’s where it is really most exciting as we go, you are not going to say ‘when this back is in these are the plays, and when this back is in those are the plays.’ They can really function on all three downs, and really, there are not any scheme limitations.”

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Titans OC Nick Holz: Treylon Burks will ‘get what he earns’

Titans OC Nick Holz says WR Treylon Burks is going to have to earn opportunities in 2024.

The biggest question mark in the Tennessee Titans’ wide receivers room, 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks is facing a crucial season in 2024.

Burks has been a major disappointment over his first two seasons in the NFL, with the Arkansas product not only battling injury, but also a lack of production when he’s been on the field.

That fact is a major reason why the Titans had such a dire need at receiver going into the offseason, and it’s why they still may spend an early-round pick on the position in the 2024 NFL draft in order to bolster the unit.

During his presser on Wednesday, offensive coordinator Nick Holz made it clear he is high on Burks but isn’t just going to hand him opportunities.

“Treylon’s potential is very high. First-round pick, we see all the talent. But he’s going to get what he earns,” Holz said, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport. “My two days with him, he’s been a great guy. He seems like he’s learning a lot, he’s really taking and processing all the information and then when he gets on the field, it’s what he can translate.  He’s got a skill set that he’s a big guy who can run and he can make contested catches. If he can find a way to do that for us, that’d be a pretty big addition.”

There was a thought process that Burks could factor in as a big slot receiver in head coach Brian Callahan’s offense, but Callahan did not mention Burks when talking about potential in-house options for the role.

If Burks can stay healthy and the Titans can get more out of him in 2024, it would be a welcomed surprise. If not, it’s basically what we expected, anyway.

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Jaguars seemingly eliminate passing game coordinator position

At least for now, it seems there will be one less coach in Trevor Lawrence’s ear next season.

When the Jacksonville Jaguars rounded out their coaching staff with a flurry of additions Thursday, it was mostly defensive coaches hired.

Ryan Nielsen filled the void left by the firing of Mike Caldwell as defensive coordinator, and several assistants who were colleagues of Nielsen’s in Atlanta or New Orleans followed him on to the staff.

Interestingly, one position that wasn’t filled was a spot on the offensive staff. At least for now, the Jaguars’ passing game coordinator role sits vacant.

In 2022, it was Jim Bob Cooter who held the title until he left to become the offensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts. Nick Holz took over the position in 2023, but that only lasted one season before he became offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans.

It’s certainly possible that another hire will happen to round out the staff, but it seems more likely that the coaches will get to work without a replacement for Holz.

The Jaguars passing game wasn’t exactly a smooth operation during the 2023 season. Third-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw 14 interceptions — a jump from his eight picks in 2022 — and he was sacked a career-high 35 times. Still, the team finished ninth in passing yards.

Perhaps Doug Pederson feels there were simply too many cooks in the kitchen. Between Pederson, offensive coordinator Press Taylor, and quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy, and assistant quarterbacks coach Andrew Breiner, there are already a handful of coaches in Lawrence’s ear. While the head coach felt a pass game coordinator was necessary the last couple years, the team’s sloppy performance in 2023 may have changed his mind.

Jacksonville needs a much sharper fourth season out of Lawrence, and it looks like it’ll be a smaller coaching staff tasked with helping him accomplish that.

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Titans OC Nick Holz talks his role, coaching style, Will Levis

Titans OC Nick Holz said the opportunity to work with QB Will Levis made Tennessee an attractive destination.

With Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan set to call the plays for the offense in 2024, new offensive coordinator Nick Holz won’t have that responsibility on his plate but will stay play a big role in the offense.

The approach to offensive game-planning and play-calling will be the same as the one Callahan worked under with the Cincinnati Bengals, where head coach Zac Taylor called the plays but Callahan had a lot of input and was instrumental in the implementation of the offense in general.

“It’s a little different than maybe you’re used to around here, having an offensive head coach that’s calling the plays with an offensive coordinator by title, that doesn’t call the plays,” Callahan said, according to Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. “But it’s a setup I’m trying to emulate from how we were set up in Cincinnati with myself and Zac Taylor. And it’s a system that I know is important, and I know that it works.”

Holz kept it simple, saying he’s “just like a regular offensive coordinator, I just won’t be calling the plays,” per Broadway Sports Media’s Easton Freeze, and he hopes to take more and more off Callahan’s plate moving forward.

“(Most) of Nick’s job is to make sure the offensive staff and the offensive players and the offensive scheme keeps running all the moments I am not available to be there, particularly during the course of the week,” Callahan said. “There’s a preparation part of it that is critically important to me.”

“You need to be yourself first. I am not going to try and be Brian. We are different people in that regard,” Holz said. “As each day goes, just seeing a few more things I can take off his plate.”

“It is really kind of an open dialogue the whole time in how we’re trying to figure stuff out, and structure it this way,” Holz added.

When it comes to his coaching style, Holz said he is not a screamer and is focused on building relationships, which he believes empowers players to better do their jobs.

“Everybody has their own management style,” Holz said. “I don’t think you’ll see me as a yeller and a screamer or anything like that. But I think if you build relationships with people, you kind of empower them to do their jobs.

“I feel like the people I have worked for, they empowered me,” he added. “As a leadership style, the same thing with the players, ‘We’re going to give you this, and you keep going and we’ll build the connection in that regard.'”

One of the things that was attractive about the Titans job was the opportunity to work with quarterback Will Levis, who Holz will have a hand in developing. Holz believes Levis checks three important boxes.

“I hadn’t really watched very much of him, but I started watching him when I was with the Jags,” Holz said, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “The first thing that jumped out is the arm talent and the second thing that jumps out is the toughness. We talk about quarterbacks, the three things we’re looking for are decision-making, accuracy and toughness, and we saw all of that.”

You can check out more of what Holz had to say during the introductory presser, as well as comments from Callahan and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson right here.

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What Titans DC Dennard Wilson, OC Nick Holz said in introductory press conference

The Titans introduced DC Dennard Wilson and OC Nick Holz in an introductory press conference on Wednesday.

The Tennessee Titans introduced offensive coordinator Nick Holz and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson during an introductory press conference on Wednesday.

But before both had the chance to speak, head coach Brian Callahan went into detail about the hiring process of his coaching staff that saw heavy involvement from general manager Ran Carthon.

“Great teachers, great leaders, excellent communicators, guys that have excellent knowledge in their respective positions,” Callahan said of the coaching staff hires, per Kayla Anderson of 104.5 The Zone. “It’s high energy, great personalities, which makes the office fun these days.”

“The process was thorough,” Callahan added. “Ran and I spent quite a bit of time together interviewing, making sure we brought guys in to speak to them. Wanted to see guys in person, wanted everybody to feel the presence in the room. It was a little bit drawn out, it’s still going — obviously there’s still hires to make — but part of that process was intentional. We were trying to make sure we got the best people we could get for our staff and for the fit on the personality side, as well.”

“Obviously, leaned heavily on Ran’s relationships,” Callahan continued. “If you all know Ran, he’s about as big a people person as there is. He’s got a ton of contacts around the league, people that he knew that I didn’t that we had conversations about. Ran was involved in all of the interviews, as well. Really good sounding board for me, really good advocate of people he knew, which was really helpful to sit and talk with him about the interview process.”

Now, a look at what Wilson and Holz had to say, as well as some thoughts from Callahan on both of his coordinators and the planned approach.

Titans to introduce new coordinators on Wednesday

The Titans will hold an introductory press conference for OC Nick Holz and DC Dennard Wilson on Wednesday afternoon.

The only coaching staff hires the Tennessee Titans have made official thus far are offensive coordinator Nick Holz and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.

And the team will formally introduce both new coordinators in a press conference at 12:30 p.m. CST on Wednesday, the team announced.

Wilson comes over from the Baltimore Ravens after serving as defensive backs coach last season.

The highly-regarded coach, who has over a decade of coaching experience in the NFL, has a connection to general manager Ran Carthon from their days together with the Rams.

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Holz was the Jacksonville Jaguars’ passing-game coordinator last season, a job he held for one year.

Prior to that, Holz was on the Raiders’ coaching staff for 10 seasons and survived multiple coaching changes. He has a connection with head coach Brian Callahan, as the pair were teammates in high school and spent time together on the Raiders’ staff.

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Of course, we’ll have full coverage of the press conference after it happens.

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Grade for Titans hiring Nick Holz as offensive coordinator

Our grade for the Titans hiring Nick Holz as offensive coordinator.

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan found his offensive coordinator when the team hired former Jacksonville Jaguars passing-game coordinator, Nick Holz.

One of the first things that jumps out at you with Holz is his light resume. He was the Jags’ passing-game coordinator for just one season, and prior to that the he was UNLV’s offensive coordinator.

Before his brief stint with the Runnin’ Rebels, Holz spent 10 seasons with the Raiders, where his most notable position was assistant wide receivers coach. However, the fact he survived multiple coaching changes suggests he’s a good coach.

While his lack of experience is a concern, that is countered by the fact that he won’t be calling plays. Instead, Holz will be responsible for implementing the offense, as well as helping with weekly game-planning and the development of quarterback Will Levis in general.

He may also be in the ear of Callahan on gamedays to offer input, much like Callahan was with Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor.

Jaguars tight end Evan Engram recently praised Holz for his work in Duval, which helped Jacksonville improve from the No. 10 passing attack in 2022 to the No. 9 unit in 2023.

Engram noted that Holz was good with players and is able to take charge. He also discussed what Holz’s role was and called him a “great offensive mind.”

“He’s great with the guys. He had a lot of meetings with us, a lot of gameplan stuff,” Engram said, per Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. “He’d talk about what he sees; he takes charge of the room. And he knows what he’s doing. He’s a great offensive mind, and whatever his role is, he is definitely going to succeed at it. I know he’s going to do a lot of great work in Tennessee.”

Another plus for Holz is the fact that he has experience in different systems. That makes him an excellent sounding board for Callahan and staff to bounce ideas off of, and for his role with giving input in the offense.

“I think the biggest thing with Nick is taking us in year one to year two, in Nick’s experience with different systems during his time with the Raiders,” Jags offensive coordinator Press Taylor said in 2023, per Demetrius Harvey of Jacksonville.com. “He’s been with a lot of different guys whether it be Coach Gruden [former Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden], Coach Olson [former Raiders Offensive Coordinator Greg Olson], a bunch of different people that we think bring different ideas and experiences to us.

“Whether it be spread systems, west coast systems, no-huddle stuff. His experience and then the way he meshes with our coaching staff having known a couple of guys throughout, I think it will just continue to elevate us from year one to year two like we’ve been talking about.”

While you’d typically want a more robust resume for an OC, it’s clear Holz checks all the boxes needed for the type of OC role he’ll have in Nashville. This hire certainly isn’t as exciting as some of the others Callahan has made, but it’s solid nonetheless based on what Tennessee needs.

Grade: B

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New Titans OC Nick Holz: 6 things to know

Six things to know about new Titans offensive coordinator Nick Holz.

The Tennessee Titans made a significant coaching staff hire on the offensive side of the ball on Friday, with the addition of new offensive coordinator Nick Holz.

Holz comes over from the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he served as the passing-game coordinator for an offense that finished No. 9 in passing.

Prior to his one-year stint in Duval, Holz was the offensive coordinator at UNLV, and before that he spent several years on the coaching staff of the Raiders.

There is understandably some trepidation about this hire from Titans fans, as his resume is a bit light for the job, and he’s a former Jag.

However, the fact that he won’t be calling the plays erases most, if not all of that concern.

We’ll talk about Holz’s expected role and more as we take a look at six things to know about the Titans’ new offensive coordinator.

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 reportedly hire Jaguars pass-game coordinator Nick Holz as OC

For the second straight year, a Jaguars pass-game coordinator left to become an AFC South offensive coordinator.

The Tennessee Titans are hiring Jacksonville Jaguars pass-game coordinator Nick Holz to be their new offensive coordinator, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Holz spent only one season with the Jaguars, joining the team in 2023 after Jim Bob Cooter left the pass-game coordinator position vacant to become the Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator.

Jacksonville finished the 2023 season ninth in passing yards and 13th in total offense. However, the team struggled with miscues in the pass game and third-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence finished with 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions — a step back from his 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2022.

Poor play from the Jaguars’ offensive line and injuries at the receiver position (Christian Kirk missed five games and Zay Jones missed eight) contributed to the team’s offensive struggles. But a change to the team’s coaching staff, particularly in the pass game might not be the worst thing.

Holz will be tasked with bringing the Titans’ pass game to life after the team finished 29th in the NFL in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. Second-round rookie Will Levis was handed the reins to the offense in late October and finished his first season with eight touchdowns and four interceptions in nine starts.

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