Tennessee Titans interim head coach Mike McCoy Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Titans Interim HC Names Top Priority

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Lane Mills | Last updated Oct 16, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Tennessee Titans, at 1-5 through six games, desperately needed a distraction to take away from what was shaping up to be a season equally as - if not even more - painful as their 3-14 campaign was last year.

Thankfully for the fans and the franchise both, that distraction came in the form of the firing of second-year head coach Brian Callahan. In 23 games at the helm, Callahan managed to squeak out just four wins, consistently mishandling talented assets, drawing up head-scratching plays and, at times, even scorning his own team following a tough loss.

As difficult and complex as a coaching search can become, Tennessee's need for the chance certainly supercedes the terrain that they'll have to travel as a result. In the meantime, excitement for something other than a win (or even a tie, at this point) has been gleaned from the Titans' decision to elevate Mike McCoy to the interim HC position.

McCoy, a senior offensive assistant for the Titans a former head coach himself, was chosen amongst a staff of various potential suitors. Having been in the NFL on-staff since 2000 - when he came onto the scene as an offensive assistant for the Carolina Panthers - McCoy's depth of experience at the highest level of football undoubtedly set him apart for a position that, in Tennessee's case, must heavily lead and work to develop rookie talent.

In addressing the media following his quasi-hiring, McCoy wanted to encourage fans and promise hard work from a team that is, for the time being, his.

"I have a job to do now... And I am excited for that opportunity," McCoy said. "It is an honor and a privilege to be standing here today, leading this organization. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us."

"But the one thing, and I've talked to the staff already and will talk to the team tomorrow – will be about togetherness. We have to stick together, that is the only way to do it."

McCoy's first test in the headset comes this weekend against the New England Patriots, who are not only one of the league's hottest teams and division leaders at 4-2, but are led by the Titans' former HC, Mike Vrabel.

It'll be a bittersweet homecoming between a former coach and a temporary one in Tennessee and yet, somehow, the home team seems to have a stronger identity now than they did last week.

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

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