Titans’ Robert Saleh Can Succeed Where Brian Callahan Failed

NASHVILLE — When the Tennessee Titans dismissed Brian Callahan after only 19 games, the decision was met less with shock than relief. Callahan’s 4-19 record, compiled in less than two seasons, had extinguished the optimism that accompanied his 2023 hiring. Now, with Robert Saleh stepping into the same office, the organization is betting that experience—head-coaching experience—will matter more than the youthful upside once projected onto Callahan.

Callahan arrived in Tennessee carrying the reflected glow of Cincinnati’s 2021 Super Bowl run, though his exact imprint on that offense remains hazy. The Titans gambled that the then-39-year-old coordinator could replicate the magic in Nashville; instead, the team regressed, fan patience eroded, and the front office pulled the plug before the midpoint of Year 2.

Saleh, by contrast, brings a résumé that already includes seasons as an NFL head coach. More importantly, he has surrounded himself with assistants who share the same pedigree. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, the 2022 NFL Coach of the Year with the Giants, arrives with both play-calling bona fides and a proven record of quarterback development—an immediate boon for projected franchise signal-caller Cam Ward. Across the staff, Saleh has prioritized hiring coaches who have sat in the big chair before, creating a sideline saturated with situational know-how.

The mandate is clear: win, and win quickly. With former Titans coach Mike Vrabel already pushing for playoff contention in New England, every misstep in Nashville will be magnified. Still, the early optics favor Saleh. Where Callahan’s tenure felt like an audition, Saleh’s leadership carries the weight of hindsight—an organization that once chased promise has now doubled down on proof.

Experience alone will not deliver victories, but it has already delivered something Callahan never achieved: credibility. If Saleh can translate that into wins, the Titans may finally escape the cycle of almost that has defined the franchise since its lone Super Bowl appearance two decades ago.

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