Titans plan to hire Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as head coach

Tennessee found its guy and wasn't about to let him leave the building.

The Titans plan to hire Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as their head coach, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Monday night.

Callahan had his second interview with the team Monday and he's staying put despite having had interviews scheduled with the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers for their vacant head coaching spots, Pelissero added.

Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk and general manager Ran Carthon were looking for a coach to helm a franchise turnaround and Callahan, who's been part of the Bengals' about-face over the past three seasons, has been pegged for the task.

In what will be his first NFL head coaching job, the 39-year-old Callahan will succeed Mike Vrabel, who was fired on Jan. 9.

In terms of replacing Callahan, the Bengals have an in-house candidate in quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. However, Cincy will have competition, as Pitcher is scheduled for OC interviews with the Patriots, Raiders and Saints this week, per Rapoport.

Cincinnati's loss will be Tennessee's gain, as Callahan departs the Bengals after acting as the team's offensive coordinator from 2019-2023, which included the team's Super Bowl appearance in the 2021 season.

Highly regarded for aiding in quarterback Joe Burrow becoming one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL, Callahan has likewise been lauded for getting stellar play out of Jake Browning this past season after Burrow was lost to a wrist injury. He's been around sensational QB play his entire career, as Callahan started as a Denver Broncos coaching assistant in 2010 and had stints with the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders ahead of his Cincinnati arrival.