Tennessee Titans Fire Head Coach Brian Callahan After Disappointing Start

The Tennessee Titans have officially parted ways with head coach Brian Callahan after a disastrous 1-5 start to the 2025 NFL season, marking the first head coaching change of the year. The announcement came Monday, just one day after the Titans suffered a 20-10 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders, which capped a stretch of underwhelming performances and mounting frustration within the organization. Brian Callahan’s tenure, which began in January 2024 following his five-year stint as offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals, ends with a 4-19 record over less than two seasons. The move was confirmed by Titans President of Football Operations Chad Brinker, who stated, “Our players, fans, and community deserve a football team that achieves a standard we are not currently meeting, and we are committed to making the hard decisions necessary to reach and maintain that standard.” Expectations were high when Callahan was hired to replace Mike Vrabel and develop the franchise’s young quarterbacks. However, the Titans struggled to find any offensive rhythm, finishing the 2024 season at 3-14, which landed them the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. This year, rookie quarterback Cam Ward—selected first overall—has yet to deliver on his potential, completing just 55% of his passes for 1,101 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions through six games. The Titans offense currently ranks last in the league in total yards per game (232.3) and second-worst in points per game (13.8), according to CBS Sports. A string of questionable decisions plagued Callahan’s time in Nashville. Notably, his aggressive play-calling late in the first half of the Week 1 loss to Denver, mismanagement of challenges due to apparent rule confusion, and the infamous ‘K-Ball’ blunder against the Colts—where a delay-of-game penalty ruined a field goal attempt—became flashpoints for criticism. Even after relinquishing play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree, the offense failed to ignite, suffering a 26-0 shutout against the Texans, their worst since the infamous 59-0 loss to the Patriots in 2009. Despite a fortunate win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5, the Titans could not sustain momentum and remain the only NFL team without a fourth-quarter lead this season. Their 83 total points are the franchise’s lowest through six games since 1985. The firing comes just as former head coach Mike Vrabel returns to Nashville with the New England Patriots for Week 7, adding another layer of drama to an already turbulent season. Titans fans, once hopeful after the team claimed the AFC’s No. 1 seed in 2021, have witnessed a sharp decline—Tennessee is now 17-40 since that high point and has dismissed two head coaches and two general managers in that span. As the Titans regroup and look ahead to their matchup with the Patriots, the focus will be on restoring credibility and setting a new standard for success. The franchise’s willingness to make a midseason change underscores the urgency to reverse course and begin a new chapter.