While he was with the Cincinnati Bengals, former offensive coordinator Brian Callahan was a perfect example of a relatively unknown coach entering the building and making the most with what he had. When he was hired in 2019, Callahan was stuck with the aging pair of Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green. On his way out, he will be leaving one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL. The real question will be whether or not he brings a little of that magic to Tennessee.
The first thing that Callahan will need to do in Tennessee will be to fill out his staff. Unfortunately for Callahan, he may suffer through what Cincinnati Head Coach Zac Taylor endured in 2019 where the majority of high-level coaches in the NFL won’t want to be a coordinator for a coach as inexperienced as Callahan. With that being the case, he is likely to follow the strategy that Taylor employed for his entire tenure: hire people that you know and trust.
The number on option to fill that prerequisite would obviously be his father Bill Callahan. The elder Callahan has been around the league including several years as a head coach of the Oakland Raiders in the early 2000s. Callahan would serve as offensive coordinator under his son while the two would employ a similar crowd sourcing approach to play calling that Taylor utilized in Cincinnati. While it may be an awkward concept for a coach to hire his father, he is likely the most experienced candidate that will even be considered on this coaching staff particularly when you consider the desperate need of Tennessee to mend the offensive line.
