The Tennessee Titans fired coach Brian Callahan, the team announced Monday, after just six games in this year's campaign, making him the first NFL coach fired this young season.
The Titans are 1-5 having just lost, 20-10, to the Las Vegas Raiders, who broke a four-game losing streak with their triumph over Tennessee on Sunday.
"After extended conversations with our owner and general manager, we met with Brian Callahan this morning to tell him we are making a change at head coach," Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker said in a statement.
"These decisions are never easy, and they become more difficult when they involve people of great character. We are grateful for Brian’s investment in the Titans and Tennessee community during his tenure as head coach. We thank him and his family for being exemplary ambassadors of the Tennessee Titans," Brinker said.
Last season, the Titans were 3-14 under first-year coach Callahan, who leaves Nashville with an overall record of 4-19.
Tennessee had hopes of rebounding from its dismal 2024 campaign, having used its No. 1 overall draft pick on star University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward.
Ward has struggled, throwing four interceptions and three touchdowns to go with a meager 1,101 yards in six games.
The Titans have been largely uncompetitive in their losses and are minus-78 in point differential. Only the Cincinnati Bengals, who are without star QB Joe Burrow because of injury, are worse, at minus-80.
Tennessee's only victory this season came in a comical 22-21 decision over the Arizona Cardinals a week ago Sunday. In that game, which snapped a 10-game Titans losing streak, Arizona intercepted Ward before it fumbled into its own end zone, where Tennessee recovered for a gift TD.
The Cardinals also could have won had Arizona running back Emari Demercado not inexplicably dropped the football as he was about to walk into the end zone for a score.
Callahan, 41, is the son of former NFL coach Bill Callahan, who led the then-Oakland Raiders to the 2003 Super Bowl.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
