BREAKING: First NFL Head Coach Has Officially Been Fired During 2025 Season


NFL logo shown on field (Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
The Tennessee Titans have fired head coach Brian Callahan, less than 24 hours after losing 20-10 to the Las Vegas Raiders.

On Monday afternoon, the Titans announced that they fired Brian Callahan after a 1-5 start. President of football operations Chad Brinker said the Titans “are not currently meeting” the standards.

An interim head coach has not been named, but it’ll presumably be an assistant on Callahan’s coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Nick Holtz and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson are among the names to monitor as Callahan’s replacement.

Brian Callahan went a disappointing 4-19 over his two seasons with the Titans. Per Pro Football Reference, they averaged just 18.3 points per game (27th in the NFL) in 2024 and have the second-worst scoring offense this season (13.8 points per game).

The Titans hired Callahan after five seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. He helped Joe Burrow emerge as an MVP-caliber quarterback, but Callahan also worked well with backup Jake Browning in 2023 after Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury.

There was hope that Callahan would turn quarterback and No. 1 pick Cam Ward into a star right away, but the rookie has struggled behind an atrocious offensive line and a lack of playmakers.

Brian Callahan Never Got A Fair Chance In Tennessee

Brian Callahan (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

Callahan’s disappointing tenure in Tennessee isn’t a reflection on him, but rather the organization. He took over a rebuilding football team in 2024 with few difference-makers, and even a top head coach like Andy Reid, Sean McVay or John Harbaugh wouldn’t have gotten much out of that roster.

The Titans didn’t supply Callahan with much outside of Ward. The offensive line is still a mess, and they lack game-changing playmakers outside of Calvin Ridley, who can’t do much with a struggling rookie QB.

Callahan’s success in Cincinnati means that another NFL job will come his way soon.