Titans hire Brian Callahan as coach, promote Ran Carthon

The Tennessee Titans hired Brian Callahan as head coach and promoted Ran Carthon to executive vice president and general manager on Wednesday.

The Titans also promoted Chad Brinker to president of football operations to complete sweeping changes in the organizational structure following a 6-11 season.

Callahan, the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals since 2019, had his second interview with the team on Monday. He replaces Mike Vrabel, who was fired after six seasons with a 54-45 record.

"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."

The Titans also interviewed Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald and Las Vegas Raiders then-interim coach Antonio Pierce.

The Raiders since hired Pierce as their permanent head coach.

"Brian has a track record of success and a range of experience that has prepared him for this opportunity," Adams Strunk continued. "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."

Callahan, 39, is the son of former Oakland Raiders and Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan, currently the offensive line coach of the Cleveland Browns. Before joining Cincinnati, Brian Callahan coached quarterbacks with the Raiders (2018) and Detroit Lions (2016-17) and was an assistant with the Denver Broncos (2010-15).

"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)," Adams Strunk said. "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."

In 2022, Cincinnati ranked eighth in total offense (360.5 yards per game) and seventh in scoring offense (26.1 points per game). The Bengals took a step back in 2023 as Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury in November.

Carthon was hired as Tennessee's GM in January 2023 and now adds the executive VP title, while Brinker had been the assistant GM since February after 13 seasons with the Green Bay Packers organization.

The team said Carthon's duties will include roster control, team activities, personnel decisions (including draft and free agency acquisitions), oversight of Callahan and his coaching staff, scouting, sports medicine and player engagement.

Brinker's new role is a new one for the organization, too. His day-to-day responsibilities will include direct oversight of the football departments that address salary cap management; analytics and strategy; communications and information systems; and team operations including security, video, equipment and grounds.

—Field Level Media