Who Dan Orlovsky would like to see as next Titans coach (1:03)
Dan Orlovsky lists five coaches who could develop Cam Ward and the Titans following the firing of Brian Callahan. (1:03)
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Turron DavenportOct 13, 2025, 01:59 PM ET
- Turron Davenport covers the Tennessee Titans for ESPN since 2018. Turron is a former collegiate football player at Cheyney University and is a native of Philadelphia, and he has authored/co-authored four books. You can catch Turron on ESPN Radio on his show «Talking with TD.»
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans fired coach Brian Callahan on Monday just six games into his second season as the team’s head coach.
Callahan finishes with a 4-19 record as the Titans’ coach, including 1-5 this season with 2025 first pick Cam Ward as the team’s starting quarterback.
Senior offensive assistant Mike McCoy will take over as interim coach, the team announced. McCoy previously was the head coach of the San Diego Chargers from 2013 to 2016. He had a 27-37 record, making the playoffs in his first season.
Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker said the organization’s focus is on giving McCoy every chance possible to prove he can be the next head coach, not just the interim.
«What Mike brings right now is experience, leadership,» Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi said at his news conference Monday. «He has been a head coach. He’s a former quarterback who’s had some years in the NFL as a player and has been around NFL quarterbacks like Philip Rivers, Peyton Manning, and he was with Trevor Lawrence last year.»
The Titans were 3-14 in Callahan’s first season, finishing with the No. 1 pick and selecting Ward. With Callahan’s firing, the past four quarterbacks drafted No. 1 and six of the past eight have seen their head coaches fired during their rookie seasons, according to ESPN Research.
Only Ken Whisenhunt (3-20) had a worse record as a head coach in Titans/Houston Oilers franchise history.
The Titans’ offense has scored only 83 points through six games this season, which is the franchise’s fewest through six games since 1985, according to ESPN Research.
A team source confirmed NFL reporter Paul Kuharsky’s report that Titans offensive line coach Bill Callahan is also not remaining with the team after his son, Brian was fired.
«We just felt like this was the right time to make a change,» Brinker said. «We were looking for growth in this football team, and that’s what this is about right now. We’re not seeing enough growth from this football team.»
The frustration boiled over in Week 3 at Nissan Stadium during a 41-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Fans booed the Titans as they went into the locker room at halftime and chanted «Fire Callahan» at various times during the game.
Callahan turned playcalling duties over to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree last month. But Callahan’s seat got even hotter after a 26-0 loss to the AFC South division rival Houston Texans in a battle of winless teams in Week 4. The Titans failed to reach the red zone, and Ward vented his frustration after the game, saying, «If we keeping it a buck right now, we’re ass.»
Callahan notched his first win of the season last week with a 22-21 win over the Cardinals in which Arizona blew a 21-3 lead. However, a frustrating 20-10 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday sealed his fate. It was the Titans’ fourth loss by at least 10 points this season, the most by any team.
The Titans hired Callahan in 2023 after controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk fired former coach Mike Vrabel, who led the team to two AFC South division titles. Vrabel returns to Nissan Stadium this Sunday for a showdown between the Titans and the New England Patriots. Vrabel has the Patriots (4-2) in second place in the AFC East in his first season as coach.
