Brian Callahan Replacements: 5 best OC candidates Bengals should target after Titans hire ft. Greg Olson
The Tennessee Titans have chosen Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as their next head coach, based on the latest reports. He replaces Mike Vrabel, who was let go earlier in the offseason.
The thought is he will be the person to develop Will Levis into an elite quarterback after he did the same with Joe Burrow. His stock only went higher this season when replacement quarterback Jake Browning played better than expected after the starter was ruled out.
Bill Callahan will have huge shoes to fill as he will be replacing a coach popular with the fanbase. He is also likely to lose the services of star running back Derrick Henry, but there is a dearth of quality wide receivers on the team beyond an aging DeAndre Hopkins.
For the Bengals, Brian Callahan's departure brings new challenges. He has been there with head coach Zac Taylor ever since he became the head coach in the 2019 season. Now, they will need to find someone new as Joe Burrow returns from his injury and they aim to return to the postseason.
Here are some of the options they can look at for replacing Brian Callahan:
Possible candidates to replace Brian Callahan as Bengals OC after his hire by Titans
#1 - Dan Pitcher
Dan Pitchers is the presumptive favorite to take this role. He is the current quarterbacks coach who has overseen Joe Burrow's success but his tenure with the franchise lasts beyond Zac Taylor. He began as the offensive assistant for the Bengals in 2016 and became the assistant quarterbacks coach in 2019 under the current coaching regime.
Since 2020, he worked under Brian Callahan as the quarterbacks coach and has overseen the development of the players in that capacity. For his loyalty and continuity, he is expected to be the frontrunner for this job. Zac Taylor will also know that teams like the New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders are interested in him, so he would prefer to lock him up before anyone snoops.
#2 - Alex van Pelt
Alex van Pelt was most recently the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns and was also responsible for play-calling duties. His importance was particularly highlighted this year when the franchise circled through multiple quarterbacks, from Deshaun Watson to Joe Flacco, but still reached the playoffs in a loaded AFC North.
Prior to joining the Browns in 2020, he worked as the quarterbacks coach with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2018 to 2019, including Zac Taylor's first year as head coach. Dan Pitcher took on the role after his departure. His firing by Cleveland came as something of a surprise and he has confirmed that he is ready to move "on to the next one." That could very well be replacing Brian Callahan in Cincinnati.
#3 - Mike Sherman
If Zac Taylor wants to go with experience rather than youth, Mike Sherman is a left-field choice. He is a former NFL head coach with the Green Bay Packers and a CFL head coach with the Montreal Alouettes. He has experience in his tank and crucially worked with the current Bengals head coach during their time together with the Miami Dolphins.
Taylor was the quarterbacks coach under him in Miami and current Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, who has attracted interest from around the league for head coaching vacancies, was his assistant quarterbacks coach.
Having mentored two bright offensive coaches during his time with the Dolphins, Mike Sherman could be the hire the Bengals need, if his former understudy wants an experienced hand to smoothen the transition from Brian Callahan.
It also so happens that Zac Taylor is married to his daughter Sarah Sherman, so he could always ask his father-in-law for some help.
#4 - Bill Lazor
Bill Lazor replaced Mike Sherman as the offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins in 2014 and worked with Zac Taylor, who was retained as the quarterbacks coach after his father-in-law's departure.
Unlike Mike Sherman, who has been inactive in professional leagues for some time, Bill Lazor was the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears as recently as 2021. He took over play-calling duties from head coach Matt Nagy from time to time and generally saw an upturn in their offensive output when he did so.
Currently, he is the senior offensive assistant for the Houston Texans, who made it all the way to the Divisional round of this year's playoffs and saw C.J. Stroud's development as a rookie. He should be willing to take a step up from his current position and become an offensive coordinator again. His prior familiarity with Zac Taylor could mean that he is in consideration to replace Brian Callahan.
It would also mark a full-circle moment as Zac Taylor got a chance to become an offensive coordinator for the first time when Lazor was fired by the Dolphins.
#5 - Greg Olson
Greg Olson and Zac Taylor's paths crossed when they were both with the Los Angeles Rams in 2017. The former was the quarterback coach and the latter was the assistant wide receivers coach under offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, the current Green Bay Packers head coach.
Olson would then go on to join the Raiders, which allowed Taylor to replace him in that position in the organization. It was there that the Cincinnati Bengals spotted him and appointed them as their current head coach.
Greg Olson, meanwhile, did a good job but was taken down by the tumult of the Jon Gruden reign and was not retained after interim coach Rich Bisaccia moved on. He has since worked as a senior offensive assistant for the Los Angeles Rams in 2022 and then the quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks in 2023.
While he has done well with both Geno Smith and Drew Lock, he might not want to go through another coaching carousel after Pete Carroll moved on during this offseason. Stability and promotion will both be available if he chooses and is selected to replace Brian Callahan in Cincinnati.