Tennessee Titans Interim Head Coach Mike McCoy Looks To Get Team On Track

Mike McCoy, freshly minted as the Tennessee Titans’ interim head coach, stepped up to the podium on Tuesday with a message for a fanbase that’s seen more drama than a season of “Hard Knocks.” The firing of Brian Callahan was the kind of move that gets a city buzzing, but let’s not forget the elephant in the room: rookie Quarterback Cam Ward is now on his second head coach and second play-caller in just six games. That’s like changing the tires on a car while it’s still doing 70 on the interstate.

The move to oust Callahan was, to put it mildly, justified. After a feel-good win against the Cardinals, the Titans went on to get absolutely boat-raced by the Raiders, a performance so uninspired it made the front office reach for the big red “EJECT” button.

How Can McCoy Right the Ship?

“I can promise you, we’re gonna work our tails off,” McCoy said, channeling every coach who has ever coached. “Every day we walk into this facility… we’re going to go out there and do everything we can to give us our best opportunity to win football. That’s what it’s all about, it’s about winning.”

McCoy didn’t mince words about the team’s glaring weakness. “We all understand where we are and that we’ve struggled on offense, we have to fix that,” he said. Struggled is putting it lightly. The Titans’ offense has been about as effective as a screen door on a submarine. They are sporting a ghastly -78 point differential and are one of only two teams in the league that haven’t cracked 100 points through six games. That’s not just bad; that’s statistically offensive.

The man at the center of it all is Ward, whose eight turnovers have him tied for second-most in the league. McCoy, who has coached a Rolodex of quarterback talent from Peyton Manning to Trevor Lawrence, plans to tackle this with a healthy dose of positivity. “That’s one thing we have to clean up,” McCoy said, before adding he plans to use the same positive reinforcement strategy he used with Lawrence. “It’s going to be the same thing every week… ‘You’re getting better.’ That’s what I kept on telling Trevor and what I’m going to tell Cam.”

A Shakeup On the Sidelines

While McCoy is taking the helm, he confirmed that Quarterbacks Coach Bo Hardegree will remain the offensive play-caller, though with a bit more “help” from the tight ends and running backs coaches. Read between the lines: it’s a group project now.

The coaching carousel didn’t stop with Callahan’s exit. In a move that surprised absolutely no one, veteran Offensive Line Coach Bill Callahan is also departing. His son, Brian, was the one who just got fired, and family loyalty, it turns out, is thicker than playbook ink. The 69-year-old Callahan is widely considered one of the best in the business, and his departure leaves another hole in a sinking ship. Assistant OL Coach Scott Fuchs and Offensive Assistant Matt Jones will be stepping in to fill those massive shoes.

For the Titans and their fans, it’s another week, another set of changes. McCoy is saying all the right things about “complimentary football” and “swagger,” but it’s going to take more than buzzwords to turn this season around. For now, all eyes are on McCoy to see if he can be the spark this team so desperately needs.