A quarter of the NFL is looking for new head coaches at the moment, and the Cincinnati Bengals currently employ one of the top candidates in offensive coordinator Brian Callahan.

Following his fifth season in Cincinnati, Callahan has been requested to interview by at least three clubs in need of a new head coach. He was on the doorstep of becoming the Indianapolis Colts head coach last year, and this might be the time he takes that next step in his career.   

Here's everything you need to know about one of the Bengals' top assistants.

Who is Brian Callahan?

Callahan is the Bengals' offensive coordinator and has been for the past five seasons. He was one of Zac Taylor's first reported hires to his staff back in January of 2019. Callahan is a part of the triumvirate of coordinators who've been together under Taylor since that coaching staff was originally put together. 

Before he came to the Queen City, Callahan was a quarterbacks coach and offensive assistant for three different franchises. He started with the Denver Broncos in 2010 as a coaches assistant. He wore the hat of offensive quality control coach from 2011-12 and then offensive assistant coach from 2013-14. He was promoted to QB coach for the 2015 season that ended in a Super Bowl title for Denver.

Callahan moved on to become the QB coach for the Detroit Lions from 2016-17, and then the Oakland Raiders in 2018. From Tim Tebow and Peyton Manning, to Matthew Stafford and Derek Carr, Callahan has worked directly with a wide variety of quarterbacks before coaching both Andy Dalton and, of course, Joe Burrow for the past half decade.

Callahan's quarterback history all started when he played the position at UCLA from 2002-2005. He's also the son of former NFL head coach and current Cleveland Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan. The now 39-year old younger Callahan has been around the game for quite a while. 

What are Callahan's responsibilities in 2023?

Callahan's role with the Bengals hasn't officially changed since 2019. He's the offensive coordinator, and that comes with obvious major influence on the team's offensive structure and architecture. 

While he doesn't officially call the plays, there's no one other than Taylor more important on game days in managing the offense. He puts together game plans on a weekly basis and is responsible for everything on that side of the ball. And he's been doing this for five years.

When Burrow suffered a season-ending injury, Callahan was integral in adjusting the offense around Jake Browning. Cincinnati's offense began to thrive under its backup quarterback and remained in playoff contention beyond expectation. This is arguably the main reason why Callahan has been courted by the Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Chargers, and Tennessee Titans thus far.

Does Callahan have play-calling experience?

Not at the NFL level. Before Callahan coached in the NFL, Callahan was the offensive coordinator at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, CA from 2008-09, where he very likely had that responsibility. 

Play-calling is not an end-all trait for an up and coming head coach. Some of the best in the game delegate that responsibility to their coordinators. But if Taylor ever relinquished that duty to Callahan, he would do a fine job. He's been versed in offensive schemes since he was a kid while his dad was an offensive line coach and coordinator in the 1990s.

Callahan's calling card

On top of an NFL pedigree through and through, Callahan is an open book and a beacon of quality information. He provides excellent detail in his answers and is extremely insightful. If he's that way towards media members, we can only imagine how genuine he is with his players. But we don't even have to imagine that much.

Callahan recently was voted amongst the top five offensive coordinators by members of the NFL Players Association, aka the players he coaches. He takes after his current boss as a player friendly coach and connects well with everyone.

Can Callahan be the face of a franchise?

All reasons listed above clearly indicate Callahan can lead a team on his own. Being a coordinator has no clear correlation for being a good head coach, but Callahan has ample experience coaching the most important position and has a great track record of getting the most out of his players. 

A franchise looking for a fresh start and offensive improvement would be lucky to hire Callahan.

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