Titans’ Brian Callahan Fired Amid 1-5 Start, Raising Questions About Mid-Season NFL Coaching Changes

NASHVILLE, TN - Brian Callahan’s firing as Tennessee Titans head coach on a Monday, following a disappointing loss to the Las Vegas Raiders and a 1-5 start to the season, is both startling and not surprising if you follow professional sports and the front offices of franchises across the pros. It does, however, reignite the perennial debate on the effectiveness of mid-season coaching changes in professional football. Callahan, hired just under two years earlier on January 22, 2024, was tasked with reversing the Titans’ downward spiral following Mike Vrabel’s dismissal, but his tenure culminated in one of the franchise’s roughest patches.

Callahan’s rise to the helm of the Titans reflects a steady climb through the NFL coaching ranks for a 41-year-old who was granted a silver spoon by the league’s elite. Born June 10, 1984, in Champaign, Illinois, he distinguished himself early on at De La Salle High School in California, part of a record-setting 151-game winning streak. After playing quarterback at UCLA as a walk-on, Callahan transitioned into coaching, earning both graduate and master’s degrees while serving as a graduate assistant. His NFL coaching resume includes roles with the Denver Broncos—including a stint during their Super Bowl L (50) victory—and later as quarterbacks coach for the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders.

Most notably, Callahan spent five years as offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals (2019–2023), where his offensive schemes helped transform Joe Burrow into a star quarterback, propelling the Bengals to the 2022 Super Bowl and a 2023 AFC Championship Game appearance. These successes made him a sought-after candidate when the Titans sought a new leader. Tennessee owner Amy Adams Strunk cited his football knowledge, enthusiasm, leadership, and collaborative style as key reasons for his hire.

However, Callahan’s time as Titans head coach failed to translate those strengths into wins. His first season ended with a 3-14 record, and a poor start this season led to his firing. Mike McCoy has been named interim head coach. Given Callahan’s head coaching record of 27-37 with the San Diego Chargers, it is hard to imagine he will fare much better with a team that is not nearly as productive or talented as his previous one.

The Titans are not alone in turning to mid-season firings. Since 2008, NFL head coaches have been dismissed mid-season in nine different years, including 2022, 2023, and 2024. Tennessee itself previously fired Ken Whisenhunt mid-season in his second year, after a 3-20 record.

Statistical evidence on the impact of these in-season firings is mixed but insightful. Teams firing coaches mid-season since 2003 have gone 17-21 straight up and 22-16 against the spread. More recent data shows teams had a collective pre-firing record of 31-78-3 (.290) but went 8-5 (.615) in their first game with an interim coach, suggesting an immediate morale boost or fresh strategies. However, overall performance with interim coaches drops to 29-55 (.345) thereafter.

One study points out that teams may win about three more games than expected after a mid-season coaching change, a modest improvement that may not justify the disruption. The Titans’ quick firing of Callahan after a poor start seems consistent with a league trend of seeking immediate change, but the overall benefit to the growth of an organization remains murky at best. NFL teams that have fired their coaches mid-season since 1978 tend to win 1.6 games more with their new coach, but that bump is identical to teams that keep their head coach after a losing season.

Ultimately, Brian Callahan’s firing underscores the challenges NFL teams face when deciding whether to replace a head coach mid-season. While such moves can spark short-term gains, history shows they rarely guarantee sustained success, making the decision a high-stakes gamble rather than a guaranteed fix.