Father and son coaching duos are nothing new in the sport of football. But the Tennessee Titans will soon have the rarity of a son handling the head coaching reins while dad serves as an assistant.
Brian Callahan To Add Father to Titans Staff
Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com on Thursday revealed that newly hired Titans head coach Brian Callahan is adding father and longtime offensive line coach Bill Callahan to his first staff.
“Callahan, the Browns OL coach the past four seasons, received permission from the Browns to interview with his son, who has always said he’d love to work with his dad.
“The details were worked out at about 7 p.m. ET, and Bill Callahan became the newest assistant for the Titans under Brian, the former offensive coordinator of the Bengals. Bill will also serve as offensive line coach in Tennessee,” Cabot reported.
The move is already being billed as a “significant hire.”
#Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan, highly regarded as one of the best OL coaches in the NFL, has been granted permission to leave and join the #Titans as part of his son Brian Callahan's coaching staff, per @MaryKayCabot. A significant hire for Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/vqoXeP2Wx9
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 1, 2024
CBS Sports NFL analyst Jordan Dajani was another who praised the move, calling it a “huge get” for the Titans.
MORE: Brian Callahan Chokes Up Thanking Bengals at Titans News Conference
The move doesn’t earn its “significant” label because of the added family ties Callahan is bringing over to Nashville, but because of his father’s prowess in developing stout offensive line play.
Notable Trench Players Bill Callahan Has Coached
The elder Callahan has produced All-Pros all across the line of scrimmage throughout his coaching career. In Cleveland, he developed the following:
- Guard Joel Bitonio; earned two first-team All-Pro honors in 2021 and 2022 under Bill Callahan.
- Tackle Jack Conklin, a two-time Pro Bowler.
- Guard Wyatt Teller, another Pro Bowler considered one of the best at his position. Teller became a late 2023 season Pro Bowl addition.
Additionally, rookie tackle Dawand Jones managed to make the Pro Football Writer’s Association All-Rookie team despite missing the last six games of the season with a torn MCL.
Callahan was also given a steady veteran presence in center Ethan Pocic, who allowed just one sack this past season in 16 games played.
Callahan’s unit only surrendered 32 total sacks in 2023, and they provided the pass blocking for a team that shuffled through five different starting quarterbacks and still clinched a playoff spot.
Outside of the Browns, Callahan has coached 14 different players who have earned a combined 34 Pro Bowls. Before Cleveland, one of the talents Callahan coached was Trent Williams during their time together in Washington.
State of Titans’ Offensive Line
Another reason why Callahan made the huge swoop to land his father was because Tennessee featured one of the league’s worst OL units.
In total, the Titans surrendered an astonishing 64 sacks, tied with the New York Jets for most among AFC teams. On the NFC side, the Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders allowed one more sack than Tennessee, yet no team topped the New York Giants, as their front line surrendered an eye-grabbing 85 sacks.
Now, the Callahans can turn their attention to protecting the future of the franchise behind center, Will Levis.
Tennessee has four OL free agents ahead of the 2024 cycle. Between tackle Chris Hubbard, tackle Calvin Throckmorton, plus centers Corey Levin and Aaron Brewer, only Throckmorton is a non-unrestricted free agent.
But again, with the NFL seeing popular surnames like Shula, Shanahan, McCaffrey, and Schottenheimer as families witnessing father-and-son connections, the Callahan family will have the rare father-and-son duo on the upcoming staff.
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