NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Titans have agreed to hire Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, sources tell NewsChannel 5.
The deal was first reported by Tom Pellisero of NFL Network.
Callahan, 39, started his NFL coaching career with the Broncos in 2010. He became the Lions quarterbacks coach in 2016 for two seasons before moving to the Raiders in 2018. He's spent the last five seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Bengals.
Callahan has worked under coaches John Fox, Jim Caldwell, Jon Gruden and Zac Taylor. He has worked with quarterbacks like Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford, Derek Carr and Joe Burrow.
He helped the Broncos win Super Bowl 50 in 2015.
Callahan's father, Bill, was the head coach of the Raiders in 2002-03 and the head coach at Nebraska from 2004-07.
Callahan replaces Mike Vrabel who was 56-48 in six seasons as Titans coach. Vrabel was fired January 9th, two days after Tennessee finished a 6-11 season and missed the playoffs for a second consecutive year.
On Wednesday, the Titans and Callahan agreed to contract terms.
"This is an exciting time for our franchise, and we're thrilled to have Brian as our head coach," said Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk. "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.
Strunk's full comment can be read below:
"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."
There are still so many families in East Tennessee hurting following the floods from Hurricane Helene in September. That made this year's running of the Santa Train extra special for many families in the northeast part of the state. This special Santa Express has been making an annual run in part of Appalachia for over 80 years.
-Lelan Statom