GRAY DEYOSports Writer

After a 1-5 season start, the Tennessee Titans opted to part ways with second-year head coach Brian Callahan. During his tenure with Tennessee as the head coach posted an overall record of 4-19.

The writing was all on the wall in this NFL job firing. Callahan was controversially brought in to replace former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. The now New England Patriots head coach finished on a huge down–Titans had a record of 6-11 the year he got fired– but despite this, he  attached high expectations on Callahan’s back.

Vrabel, in his time in Tennessee, took the Titans to grounds they hardly reached. They made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons, and during their time in the playoffs, they made it into the AFC championship game for the first time since 2003. Vibes were high, and the Titans over that stretch had teams more than capable of lifting up the Lombardi trophy.

The playstyle that they had over that period can be described as rugged. Tennessee, under Vrabel, had no issue playing ugly and winning ugly. On offense, they ran the ball constantly with arguably the best RB in the NFL during the Titans’ playoff streak, Derrick Henry. Because of how dominant he was, they played through him. When it was working, it was a thing of beauty, but when it was not, like in the 6-11 season, it was hard to watch. In Tennessee, the year before Vrabel got fired, the Titans had the fourth-fewest passing yards per game. The Titans hired Callahan with high hopes that he’d turn them into a more modern offense, with a dynamic passing game being a big part of it. Callahan was the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals, who were known for having an elite passing game. However, the Titans’ hopes of Callahan elevating their offense quickly turned into a nightmare.

In 2024, Tennessee ranked sixth in the NFL for fewest points of game, 17.9, and in 2025, it has been much of the same, with them ranking second in fewest points per game with 13.8 points per game. Callahan, in week four, stepped down from his role of calling plays on offense. This felt like a last-ditch effort to save his job, but acknowledging that what he was doing was not working felt like the nail in the coffin.

In week seven, there next opponent after firing Callahan, they will take on none other than the man they got rid of  to better their franchise two seasons ago , Mike Vrabel. His new team, the Patriots, have a record of 4-2 and are at the top of their division. Vrabel has helped turn around their outlook as a franchise, where one year ago in 2024 they finished with a record of 4-13. This being Tennessee’s next game likely also played a hand in the firing of Callahan. The Titans being as bad as they are is not a good look, but losing to the guy they fired while his new team is awesome is as bad a look as any organization can produce.

While the Titans have not stamped a guy as their official head coach, they have assigned an interim head coach, Mike McCoy. He previously had the role of senior offensive assistant for the Titans. A coach can still take his place, but for now, he is the guy.

With his new role, he has a tough task ahead of him to start generating wins. Callahan was not a good head coach, but the current roster he was given has not been good either. With that said, expectations are at an all-time low in Tennessee. Getting wins marked down on the schedule is the goal of any football team, but any resemblance of positive change in McCoy’s debut as head coach could go a long way in him making a case for the job, and will go a long way with the bulk of Titans’ fans.