Nashville – Brian Callahan, the new Titans head coach, won’t have to seek far for valuable counsel on almost anything.
He hired his father, experienced coach Bill Callahan, as the team’s offensive line coach, and he arrived with a strong reputation.
“He has been the gold standard in this business,'” said NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger, a former NFL offensive lineman.
“He knows how to develop players and lines.
He is an exceptional offensive line coach.
You couldn’t have gotten a better hire.”Bill Callahan joins the Titans with 46 years of coaching experience, including 25 in the NFL and six as head coach.
Callahan was the Browns’ offensive line coach for four seasons (2020-23) before joining the Titans.
During his tenure in Cleveland, the Browns made the playoffs twice, and in 2022, they had the third-highest running total (2,490) in franchise history.
In 2021, the Browns topped the NFL in running average (5.09), the highest by a Browns club since 1966.
“I learned a lot from him, not only technique and fundamentals, but also how to be a professional,” Browns guard Wyatt Teller said of Callahan at the Pro Bowl.
“He’s a hard coach, and they’re getting their money’s worth down there.”
Those guys will have a lot of work, but I’m confident it will pay off.”On Wednesday, Brian Callahan openly mentioned hiring his father for the first time.
He thanked the Browns for allowing his father to go while he was still under contract.
“I wasn’t sure he would be, contractually allowed to,” Callahan remarked.
“But they were smart enough to see the peculiarity of the circumstance and allowed it to proceed along that path.
I’m really grateful for their perspective and for allowing it to happen.” When the Browns allowed Bill Callahan to leave, he made it plain he wanted to join his son in Tennessee.
Bill Callahan was the University of Nebraska’s head coach for four seasons (2004-07), and he spent six seasons with the Oakland Raiders (1998-03), including his final two as head coach.
He coached the offensive line for 22 seasons in the NFL and served as offensive coordinator for seven of them.
He has guided 14 offensive linemen to 35 Pro Bowl berths.
“I would say, as far as experience goes, there’s not really anybody that has more in all the different facets of an organization,” Brian Callahan said of his father.
“He has been a head coach in both college and the NFL.
He has called plays in the NFL.
For many years, he has been perhaps the best offensive line coach in sports.
His experience and understanding are extensive. He’s probably forgotten more football than I realize. So having him is a great help to us.
And again, not just because that’s my father, but because of his experience as a football coach.
And again, there’s not many better out there. Nick (Holz) worked for him a long time ago.
I would argue that they’re probably both very different people at this point. My dad in particular.
But just the ability to have that knowledge, experience, wisdom, perspective, on all the things that go on from top-to-bottom in the football process, not just the coaching.
And so, to have that available to us is huge, and trust me, he’ll have quite a bit of input and ability to help us along the process.”
