NASHVILLE – New Titans head coach Brian Callahan won't have to look far for valuable advice on just about anything.
He hired his dad, veteran coach Bill Callahan, as the team's offensive line coach, and he arrived with quite a reputation.
"He has been the gold standard in this business,'" NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger, a former NFL offensive lineman, said of Bill Callahan. "He knows how to develop players, develop a line. He's an amazing offensive line coach. You couldn't get a better hire."
Bill Callahan brings 46 years of coaching experience to the Titans, including 25 years in the NFL and six as a head coach (two at Oakland and four at the University of Nebraska).
Callahan joined the Titans after four seasons (2020-23) as the offensive line coach for the Browns. During his time in Cleveland, the Browns qualified for the playoffs twice and in 2022, the team recorded the third-highest rushing total (2,490) in franchise history. In 2021, the Browns led the NFL in rushing average with a 5.09 mark, which was the highest by a Browns team since 1966.
"I learned a lot from him, not only technique and fundamentals, but also how to be a pro," Browns guard Wyatt Teller said of Callahan, from the Pro Bowl. "He's a hard, hard coach, so they're getting their work worth down there. … Those guys are going to be getting a lot of work, but I know it's going to pay off."
Brian Callahan on Wednesday discussed hiring his father publicly for the first time.
He thanked the Browns for allowing his father to leave, considering he was still under contract.
"I wasn't sure he would be, contractually allowed to," Callahan said. "But they were aware enough to know the uniqueness of the situation and allow it to continue to go down that road. So appreciative of that perspective from them and allowing it to happen."
When the Browns freed up Bill Callahan to leave, Bill made it clear he wanted to join his son in Tennessee.
Bill Callahan was the Head Coach for the University of Nebraska for four seasons (2004-07), and he spent six seasons (1998-03) with the Oakland Raiders, including his final two seasons as Head Coach.
During his time in the NFL, he has spent 22 seasons coaching the offensive line and seven years as offensive coordinator. He has guided 14 offensive linemen to a total of 35 Pro Bowl selections.
"I would say, as far as experience goes, there's not really anybody that has more in all the different facets of an organization," Brian Callahan said of his father. "He's been a head coach in college and the NFL. He's called plays in the NFL. He's been arguably, in my opinion, the best offensive line coach in football for a long time. His experience and his wealth of knowledge. He's probably forgotten more football than I know. And so, it's a huge asset to us to have him. And again, not just because that's my father, but because of his experience as a football coach. And again, there's not many better out there. Nick (Holz) worked for him a long time ago. I would argue that they're probably both very different people at this point. My dad in particular. But just the ability to have that knowledge, experience, wisdom, perspective, on all the things that go on from top-to-bottom in the football process, not just the coaching. And so, to have that available to us is huge, and trust me, he'll have quite a bit of input and ability to help us along the process."
