Titans coach Brian Callahan relinquishes play-calling duties after 0-3 start
Callahan shifts play-calling to QB coach Bo Hardegree after three straight losses as Tennessee searches for answers.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan relinquished play-calling duties Tuesday, giving the responsibility to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree after an 0-3 start to the season. Callahan said the move will allow him to be more present for the roster and focus on the big picture as head coach.
"I think this is one of the best things for us at the moment to help me do a better job as a head coach and be more present and available for the football team and less involved in just the day-to-day minutiae of getting ready to call a game," Callahan told reporters. "So I think it’s going to be positive for us." He stressed that the playbook will stay the same and that the change is a shift in responsibility, not a reshaping of the scheme.
The Titans are 3-17 since Callahan took over in January 2024, a stretch punctuated by Sunday’s 41-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at Nissan Stadium. Tennessee has been outscored 94-51 over its three games this season. The team ranks 28th in points per game (17) and 31st in total yards per game (222.3), with rookie quarterback Cam Ward guiding the offense.
Hardegree, a Tennessee native, previously worked as a quarterbacks coach for the Raiders and was promoted to interim offensive coordinator in 2023 after head coach Josh McDaniels and offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi were fired. In that role he called plays for Antonio Pierce. Now in Tennessee, he inherits play-calling duties with the Titans.
Callahan said the offensive game plan would remain largely unchanged, emphasizing a collaborative process. "I’ve had zero disappointment in my play-calling," he said. "But it’s just more so I can see the rest of it — see the big picture better."
The Titans hit the road to take on another winless team, the Texans, on Sunday afternoon at NRG Stadium. The trip represents a test for a team still seeking to turn around a rocky start and stabilize a season that has shown only flashes of potential.