Instant hot board of 10 candidates for next Tennessee Titans head coach after the firing of Brian Callahan

The Tennessee Titans became the first NFL team in 2025 to fire their head coach on Monday, sending Brian Callahan packing after a 1-5 start and a 4-19 record overall. It’s only Week 7, and getting an early jump on the coaching market isn’t possible until much later in the winter. So whatever the reason was behind making this move now, getting a head start on finding the next guy wasn’t it.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t keep an eye on the likeliest candidates throughout the rest of the fall. Great news on that front: I hear James Franklin is available! While on the topic of honorable mentions, I’ll also point out that Jon Gruden isn’t on this list. He’s somebody I will believe is a serious candidate when I see it. Until then, I expect to keep seeing him crush content with Barstool. I’ve not included currently-employed head coaches who could technically be available soon, either, like Kevin Stefanski. Alright, here we go:

Mike McCarthy

Currently taking the year off from coaching after parting ways with the Cowboys last year, McCarthy would be a high-floor move to inject stability into a franchise that desperately needs it.

He’s 169–104–2 all-time with two different franchises, and he has a Super Bowl ring. Is he perfect? No. But he clearly knows how to do the job.

Joe Brady

Brady is likely the top candidate among would-be first-time head coaches. He’s the Bills’ offensive coordinator and has been an integral part of Buffalo’s offense, helping maintain an elite floor and making Josh Allen an MVP force to be reckoned with.

Mike Kafka

Kafka is the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the Giants, and has been a hot name during coach interview season for a full presidential term at this point.

He’s highly respected as a head coaching candidate around the league, despite the Giants’ lack of success. If Jaxson Dart finishes an impressive rookie season, his role in shepherding the young QB could boost his stock.

Kliff Kingsbury

Kingsbury is the offensive coordinator for Jayden Daniels in Washington, and his ability as an offensive mind is unquestioned. He would be a head coach retread after a four-year stint in Arizona that yielded limited success.

But many head coaches in history have looked a lot better on the second try, when they’re older, wiser, and have learned from failing once before.

Arthur Smith

Another retread option is Arthur Smith, who would be a familiar face in Nashville. He got his first head coaching opportunity in Atlanta after finding so much success as OC for the Titans, but that three-year run didn’t go well.

He’s the OC in Pittsburgh with Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers, and he’s on track to re-enter the head coach discussion.

Jesse Minter

Minter is the DC for Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles, and the Chargers’ defense has looked extremely well-coached under him.

His name is one of the hottest at the moment, he’s still young at just 42 years old, he has a strong pedigree of experience in college and the NFL, and his leadership background with Harbaugh certainly doesn’t hurt either.

Brian Flores

Flores is the DC in Minnesota and is revered as one of the best defensive minds in the NFL. He was the head coach of the Dolphins before landing in Minnesota, and folks in league circles think he’s ready to give the head coaching chair another swing.

Robert Saleh

Former Jets head coach Robert Saleh returned to San Francisco as the DC for Kyle Shanahan, the gig he had before taking over in New York in the first place. His stint with the Gang Green didn’t work out, but it’s hard to point the finger at him too much for that total mess.

That defense was amongst the best in the league while he was there, and promptly became one of the worst in the league the second he left.

Jim Schwartz

One more familiar Titans face for you: how about Browns DC Jim Schwartz? He was an advisor in Nashville at the end of the Vrabel tenure.

He was also the Lions’ head coach over a decade ago, so he’s done the job before. He’s done a fantastic job in Cleveland and will be brought up in the coaching cycle.