The Tennessee Titans have made the season’s first major coaching change, firing head coach Brian Callahan on Monday, October 13, 2025, following a disappointing 20-10 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders that dropped the team to 1-5.
The End of a Brief Tenure
Callahan’s dismissal comes just six games into his second season as Tennessee’s head coach, concluding his tenure with a dismal 4-19 record. The 41-year-old coach, who was hired in January 2024 from the Cincinnati Bengals where he served as offensive coordinator, failed to deliver the offensive transformation the Titans desperately needed.
Key Statistics from Callahan’s Tenure:
- Overall Record: 4-19 (.182 winning percentage)
- 2024 Season: 3-14
- 2025 Season: 1-5
- Notable low: First shutout loss since 2019 (26-0 vs Houston Texans)
The Quarterback Development Challenge
Callahan was specifically brought to Tennessee to develop young quarterbacks, having previously worked with elite talent including Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford, and Joe Burrow. However, both Will Levis and first overall draft pick Cam Ward struggled under his guidance. Ward, selected with the top pick earned from the franchise’s historically poor 2024 season, has shown flashes but couldn’t elevate the team’s performance.
The breaking point came after Ward’s season-low performance against Houston, completing just 10 of 26 passes for 108 yards in the shutout loss. Callahan had already relinquished play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree following fan protests during a home loss to Indianapolis.
Organizational Instability
Chad Brinker, the Titans’ president of football operations, addressed the firing in an official statement: “While we are committed to a patient and strategic plan to build a sustainable, winning football program, we have not demonstrated sufficient growth. Our players, fans, and community deserve a football team that achieves a standard we are not currently meeting”.
This dismissal continues a troubling pattern for the Titans organization, which has now fired two head coaches and two general managers while posting a 17-40 record since their 2021 playoff run as the AFC’s top seed. The franchise previously parted ways with Mike Vrabel following the 2023 season, ironically just before he found success with the New England Patriots.
Looking Ahead: Coaching Candidates
The Titans have not yet named an interim head coach, creating urgency with a game against Vrabel’s Patriots looming this Sunday. Several potential candidates are emerging for both interim and permanent roles:
Immediate Options:
- Mike McCoy (current senior offensive assistant with head coaching experience)
- Bill Callahan (Brian’s father, though this presents obvious complications)
- External hires like former Titans legend Eddie George
Long-term Candidates:
- Joe Brady (Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator)
- Thomas Brown (New England Patriots coordinator)
- Kliff Kingsbury (available with offensive expertise)
- Matt Nagy (experienced former head coach)
The Broader Impact
Callahan’s firing reflects the harsh realities of NFL coaching, where even coaches of “great character” face swift consequences for poor performance. His dismissal makes him the first NFL head coach fired during the 2025 season, though likely not the last.
For a franchise that invested over $250 million in free agency and trades to rebuild around Callahan’s vision, this represents another costly reset. The Titans must now find their third head coach in three years while trying to develop their rookie quarterback and maintain any semblance of organizational stability.
The timing is particularly poignant given that Vrabel, Callahan’s predecessor, will return to Nashville this weekend as the opposing coach, leading a surging Patriots team that appears to have found its footing under his leadership.