It's been eight years since a Cincinnati Bengals coordinator was hired to become a head coach. Hue Jackson spent two years calling plays for the Bengals' offense before taking over the Cleveland Browns and leading them to three wins in 40 games.



Maybe there's a reason it's been a minute.

Current offensive coordinator Brian Callahan appears to be next up. Callahan has interviewed for half of the head coaching vacancies this month, including a second interviews with at least one of the clubs he's previously met with. One NFL insider also predicted he'd land a job this cycle.



So what will happen if Callahan moves on for an external promotion? Will Cincinnati look inwards for the sake of continuity, or will they have no choice but to hire fro. outside the organization? These are the names to keep in mind.

Potential replacements for Bengals OC Brian Callahan

Dan Pitcher

Current role: Bengals quarterbacks coach



Pitcher is presumed to be next up for Callahan's job, and it's been this way for at least a year. Pitcher interviewed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' OC position last year, which prompted the Bengals to extend his contract. It's widely believed that the extension also works as an agreement for Pitcher to take Callahan's job when it becomes available.



They nearly had to execute this succession last year when Callahan was in the running for the Indianapolis Colts head coaching gig. Callahan lost out to Shane Steichen, and the braintrust of the Bengals' offense was kept in place for 2023.

Pitcher's role hasn't been diminished in any way, and he's only gained more experience by helping Jake Browning thrive in a modified offense late in the season.



“He’s such a critical part of third downs," Taylor said of Pitcher. "He plays an integral part in that, and he has gotten two quarterbacks ready to win games for us.”



If he choses to stay in Cincinnati before or after Callahan decides to leave, he's got next.

Troy Walters

Current role: Bengals wide receivers coach



There's a chance that both Callahan and Pitcher take promotions this offseason. Callahan could hire Pitcher to be his OC, or Pitcher becomes an OC for a completely different club. The New Orleans Saints scheduled an interview with his earlier this week.



If both are gone, the in-house candidate to keep an eye on is Walters. The former NFL receiver out has been the coaching the Bengals' wideouts since 2021, when he.was promoted from the assistant coach at the position after one year on the job. 

"He keeps raising the standard with that group and is very demanding of them," head coach Zac Taylor said of Walters last week. "And they respect the heck out of that because those are the types of guys that they are. He’s someone that you immediately sought to add to your staff when he was available. He’s been a home-run hire, home-run person and we’re very lucky to have him."



Walters interviewed to be the OC for the Houston Texans last offseason, and his name could pop up on interview lists this year when new staffs are forming. The Bengals would be wise to keep him around with a well deserved promotion.

Shane Waldron

Current role: Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator



During the 2019 hiring cycle, the Cincinnati Bengals interviewed two Los Angeles Rams assistants for their opening at head coach.



One of them was Taylor. The other was Waldron.



Taylor ended up beating out his fellow assistant in L.A. for the gig, but Waldron has been doing fine on his own since then. He took a promotion to coordinate the Seahawks' offense in 2021. 

Seattle underwent a major change at QB in 2022 by trading Russell Wilson and replacing him with Geno Smith; a swap that has worked out well for both Smith and the team. Waldron has rightfully been credited for helping Smith turn his career around with the Seahawks, and now has a chance to go elsewhere with the franchise looking for a new head coach.  



The Bengals may not have wanted Waldron to coach the entire team, but his track record overseeing a passing offense is strong enough to warrant another interview at Paycor Stadium. His history with Taylor suggests he could be the most likely external candidate. 

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Callahan sticking around with the Bengals for this long is more of an anomaly than anything, and Pitcher's contract extension is a tell that the Bengals have been planning this scenario for a while.



When the Saints let Pete Carmichael go earlier this week, Callahan recently became the longest tenured OC in the NFL after just five years. The turnover rate at his job is even higher than it is for head coaches as promotions and firings each happen relatively quick.

The Bengals should have contingencies in place for what feels like an inevitable situation, and they likely extend longer than this list. If all goes to plan, expect at least one of these names to be in the conversation.

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