MOBILE, Ala. – Titans Coach Brian Callahan has been a busy man this offseason.
Callahan was a part of the team's general manager interviews, and at the same time he was reshaping his coaching staff. He also hit the road with others, to the East-West Shrine Bowl, and on to the Senior Bowl.
Callahan on Tuesday talked to reporters in between the two practices at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Here's a look at some of the highlights from his availability:
-Callahan recently hired Tony Oden, who has 19 years of NFL coaching experience, as passing game coordinator/cornerbacks coach.
"Tony Oden is a really, really outstanding secondary coach," Callahan said of Oden, most recently with the Jets. "I was with him in Detroit, and I watched him work."
He also promoted Luke Stocker to tight ends coach.
"I love Luke, and I think he's really talented," he said. "I'm excited about him in that tight ends role. He has years of experience playing, and he's a young coach who I think has a lot of promise as a coach."
Earlier, he hired John Fassel as special teams coach. Callahan let last year's special teams coach, Colt Anderson, go in the process.
"It was incredibly difficult," Callahan said. "There is still a human element to this business. I love Colt and I hope everything goes great for him. I think he's a good, young coach. I think some things (were) out of control to some degree, but ultimately that's how it goes sometimes. We weren't good enough there. He's disappointed and I'm disappointed, but that's the way it happens sometimes. It's part of the business and I wish him the best. I love him to death. It was a difficult decision, but one at the end of the day had to be made for the sake of the team."
-Callahan said quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree "is an integral part of what we do." He acknowledged Hardegree didn't get the OC job he interviewed for with the Bears, but he stopped short of guaranteeing he'd be back in 2025.
"He's not long for us, I think," Callahan said. "We're lucky to have him. He'll be a coordinator sooner than later, he's more than qualified for that job. I'm just excited that he's not going to Chicago at least, and hopefully we'll have him for another year."
-Callahan said he's still looking to hire a new assistant defensive line coach.
-Callahan said Titans quarterback Will Levis plans to work with quarterbacks coach Jordan Palmer this offseason in California.
"I really think Jordan is one of the better guys out there right now in terms of working with pro quarterbacks," Callahan said. "Hopefully that's an illuminating process for him, a different way of doing things. He's going to be out there for two months, whatever it is, some of the footwork, the base, some of the pocket movement things that have to improve.
"But I'm excited about that for him. I think it will be really beneficial."
-Asked about what's stood out at the two all-star games so far, Callahan said "there are a lot of defensive linemen that are impressive," and "there are some interesting offensive linemen."
"Some good trench players on both sides," he said. "A couple of the corners, on both these teams are interesting, some good players. And some of the receivers are unique, some different styles, and guys that are fun to watch. And a couple of good-looking tight ends."
