Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan walks off the field after the game against the Houston Texans. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Three Titans HC Candidates After Brian Callahan Firing

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Oct 13, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Tennessee Titans are looking for a new head coach after firing Brian Callahan following the team's Week 6 loss against the Las Vegas Raiders.

While the Titans aren't likely going to hire Callahan's replacement until the start of the season, they are certainly going to scout for their next head coach. Here's a look at three head coaching candidates the Titans could hire:

Matt Nagy, Kansas City Chiefs OC

Nagy is the current offensive coordinator for the Chiefs and he has enjoyed tremendous success with Patrick Mahomes as the quarterback. Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi, a former Chiefs assistant general manager, believes Ward has some Mahomes-like qualities as a quarterback.

Hiring Nagy would allow the Titans to adopt a Chiefs-like blueprint to get them to the top. It's not guaranteed to work since the personnel will be different, but this is a name to watch for a while.

Nagy has head coaching experience with the Chicago Bears from 2018-21, and was the league's Coach of the Year in his first season in the Windy City, so that experience could help him if the Titans come calling.

Mike McCarthy, Former Dallas Cowboys HC

McCarthy is out of the NFL this season after the Cowboys failed to renew his contract, but he should be looking at head coaching jobs for the 2026 cycle. Like Mike Vrabel was with the New England Patriots, McCarthy should be a top candidate for any job that is available at the end of the season.

The Titans have some of McCarthy's former coaches on the staff, including John "Bones" Fassel, the team's special teams coordinator. That stamp of approval should be a sign that McCarthy may be appreciated within the Titans building.

McCarthy's lack of playoff success should be a red flag, but he would be an upgrade over what the Titans had with Callahan.

Bill Belichick, North Carolina Tar Heels HC

Belichick's tenure as North Carolina's football coach is not off to a great start, and rumors are circulating that he could be looking for a way out of Chapel Hill.

While Belichick has denied these rumors, the NFL could come calling to poach him out of the NCAA.

Belichick would be an absolute whale of a hire, and while it may not be a guarantee to help the Titans out of their misery, it would shake up the team's foundation and bring a winning culture to the program.

This article first appeared on Tennessee Titans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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