It already is clear that new Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan plans to overhaul significantly the team’s coaching staff. … There have been no official announcements about assistant coaches, but the latest reporting indicates that the Cleveland Browns granted Bill Callahan — Brian Callahan’s father and a long-time, well-respected offensive line coach — permission to explore the possibility of joining his son’s staff. The report further indicates that the Browns won’t stand in his way if he wants to leave them. … The elder Callahan will be the second position coach on offense to be hired. Reports already indicate that Tyke Tolbert, who spent the past two seasons with the Chicago Bears, will fill that role. One of the members of this podcast actually was coached by Tolbert more than two decades ago. … Dennard Wilson, who spent last season as Baltimore’s defensive backs coach and the two seasons before that in the same position with Philadelphia, reportedly has been tapped to serve as defensive coordinator. A rising star, Wilson reportedly had other opportunities this offseason and likely would have had even more had he waited, but he opted to take on the opportunity to lead the Titans’ defense. … With all of the NFL’s head coaching vacancies now filled, former coach Mike Vrabel seems destined to sit out the 2024 season. With no significant record as a defensive coordinator, that seems like an unlikely option for him even if he wanted to get back to work quickly. The real question now seems to be how much of the time off he will use to reflect on the reasons for his dismissal and whether he will do some things differently when (of if) he gets another opportunity to be a head coach.
A Father-Son Reunion
In the first week after Brian Callahan was named the Tennessee Titans head coach, it became abundantly clear that change will not be limited to the top of the coaching staff. A handful of Mike Vrabel's former assistants already have landed jobs with other NFL franchises. And while there have been no official announcements from Tennessee, nationwide reports indicate that a few key decisions already have been made, including one that will make coaching the Titans a family affair.