There is a genuine buzz surrounding the Tennessee Titans after the hiring of Robert Saleh as the team’s next head coach. While there is a lot to like, especially in some of the additions to his staff, that optimism can quickly turn to despair.

Not long ago, the Titans were in a similar place with the hiring of Brian Callahan, and everyone knows how that turned out. The Titans regressed and became an afterthought in the AFC South.

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But just how bad was it? Bill Barnwell of ESPN believes Callahan was one of the worst hires in the league since 2021

28. Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans

Seasons: Two (fired before the end of the second season)

Record: 4-19 (.173)

It’s not Callahan’s fault that the Titans fired Mike Vrabel to hire the former Bengals assistant as their head coach, but that move looks like organizational incompetence with the benefit of hindsight. Hiring Callahan to develop the team’s quarterback of the future made sense, especially given that he was bringing his father, legendary offensive line coach Bill Callahan, along for the ride.

But Callahan’s offenses weren’t able to consistently execute essential concepts, and the expensively assembled offensive line struggled to live up to expectations. Cam Ward flashed at times under Callahan, but when the second-year coach appeared to suggest that he didn’t know (or correctly apply) the league’s catch rule, it was going to be tough to retain the needed level of credibility. The Titans also fielded some of the worst special teams I’ve ever seen in 2024.

The Titans fired Callahan after a 1-5 start in 2025, with the one win requiring the Cardinals to essentially hand Tennessee the game.

While he doesn’t have Callahan at the bottom of the barrel, he is close, and deservedly so. To say the Titans were bad under his watch would be an understatement, and his inability to inspire change was a significant factor. Under his watch, Tennessee was undisciplined, and the personnel decisions early in his tenure set the team up for failure.

On top of that, many of the issues that plagued the team during his first season at the helm carried over into the start of the 2025 season, and did not improve until he was replaced by interim head coach Mike McCoy.

This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans’ hiring of Brian Callahan ranked among worst since 2021