The Cleveland Browns abruptly fired three offensive coaches after the team’s blowout playoff loss in January. On the first day of February, a fourth walked away of his own accord.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com broke the news that Bill Callahan, among the NFL’s most revered offensive line coaches, handed in his resignation Thursday and intends to join the staff of the Tennessee Titans.
“Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan is leaving Cleveland to join his son Brian Callahan, the new head coach of the Titans,” Cabot wrote. “Callahan, the Browns highly-regarded OL coach the past four seasons, has received permission from the Browns to interview with his son, who has always said he’d love to work with his dad. The details are currently being worked out, and it’s expected to be done soon.”
Bill Callahan Has Coached at Top of Sport for Last 25 Years
Callahan has spent decades coaching in the NFL and NCAA, including multiyear stints as offensive coordinator with the Las Vegas Raiders (then the Oakland Raiders) from 1998-2001 and the Dallas Cowboys between 2012-14.
Callahan also held head coaching duties with the Raiders organization for two years, going 11-5 in 2002 and winning the AFC Championship. Oakland earned a record of just 4-12 the next season, however, after which the team relieved Callahan of his position.
The Washington Commanders elevated Callahan to interim head coach in 2019 after he served five years as the team’s offensive line coach. He also held the title of assistant head coach during his final three seasons there. Callahan led Washington to a 3-8 record before joining the Browns’ staff the following year.
Bill, Brian Callahan Among Rare Father/Son Duos to Run NFL Offenses, Earn Head Coaching Positions
Brian Callahan followed in his father’s footsteps during his rise to a head coaching position in the AFC South.
He spent the last five seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals, coaching against his father in multiple AFC North division games each year. The Bengals lost to the Los Angeles Rams by 3 points in the 2022 Super Bowl (following the 2021 regular season) before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game the following January.
Cincinnati is 31-19 with Brian Callahan running the offense over the past three seasons. All three have been winning campaigns. The team is also 5-2 in the playoffs across two postseason appearances over that span.
Brian Callahan fought through emotional moments during his introductory press conference with the Titans, saying “not many fathers and sons get to be head coaches in the NFL,” per Cabot.
According to TSN, there have been six father-son head coaching duos in the league:
- Mike and Kyle Shanahan
- Don and Dave Shula
- Buddy and Rex Ryan
- Bum and Wade Phillips
- Dick and Mike Nolan
- Jim Mora Sr. and Jim Mora Jr.
Bill and Brian Callahan now join that elite list as the seventh such tandem in NFL history.
