Tennessee Titans Fire Coach Brian Callahan After Disappointing Start

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan on Monday, just six games into his second season. Callahan leaves with a record of 4-19, including a 1-5 start this season, despite having the first overall pick in the 2025 draft as their starting quarterback.

“We just felt like this was the right time to make a change,” said Chad Brinker, the team’s president of football operations, at a news conference Monday night. “We were looking for growth in this football team, and we’re not seeing enough of that right now.”

Senior offensive assistant Mike McCoy will take over as interim head coach. McCoy previously led the San Diego Chargers from 2013 to 2016, where he posted a 27-37 record and made the playoffs in his first season.

Brinker emphasized that the organization is committed to giving McCoy a fair shot at proving he can be the permanent head coach. “What Mike brings right now is experience and leadership,” said Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi. “He has been a head coach and played quarterback in the NFL, working with top players like Philip Rivers and Peyton Manning.”

In a related move, a team source confirmed that offensive line coach Bill Callahan, Brian Callahan’s father, will also leave the team. There are no immediate indications of further staff changes.

During his first season, the Titans went 3-14, which led to them securing the No. 1 pick. With Callahan’s firing, history shows that the past four quarterbacks drafted first overall have had their head coaches fired during their rookie seasons. Only Ken Whisenhunt had a worse record (3-20) in the franchise’s history.

The Titans’ offense has struggled significantly this season, scoring only 83 points, the fewest through six games since 1985. The situation peaked in Week 3 during a 41-20 loss when fans booed the Titans and chanted “Fire Callahan.”

After Callahan assigned playcalling duties to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree last month, the Titans suffered a demoralizing 26-0 loss to the AFC South division rival. Cam Ward, the starting quarterback, expressed frustration following that game, stating, “If we keeping it a buck right now, we’re ass.”

Callahan managed to secure his first win last week with a narrow 22-21 victory, where the Arizona team squandered a 21-3 lead. However, a disappointing 20-10 loss on Sunday ultimately sealed Callahan’s fate.

The Titans initially hired Callahan in 2023 after the team’s owner, Amy Adams Strunk, terminated former coach Mike Vrabel, who had two division titles with the Titans. Vrabel will return to Nissan Stadium this Sunday as the head coach of the New England Patriots, who currently hold a 4-2 record in the AFC East.