Getting to know Titans coaching candidate Brian Callahan

Getting to know Titans coaching candidate Brian Callahan

The Titans have contacted Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan for a second and in-person interview that will take place at some point next week so let’s get to know Brian Callahan a little bit deeper beyond the resume and his previous stops which we’ve done a lot of but let’s get a little deeper

With it with Dave lapam host the in the trenches podcast and is the radio analyst for the Cincinnati Bengals each and every game day joining us now on 1045 The Zone Dave how are you you thanks so much for being here I’m fine Lucas thanks for the opportunity to

Visit man well we appreciate the opportunity for you to offer some perspective here on a guy that I think Dave when people hear offensive coordinator but not primary play caller can wave off pretty easily why should people not do that when it comes to Brian Callahan and who he is as a head

Coaching candidate uh because you know I think to be a successful head coach in the National Football League I you can have a coordinator you can have a play call caller I me there’s there’s a few head coaches in the NFL that do call plays but there are still coordinators that uh

That that call plays and in Brian’s case I’m sure he would have a coordinator in mind uh that he would probably uh Empower to call the plays or it might be a joint effort and you know make no mistake about it um Zack Taylor calls to

Play but Brian Callahan is part of the dialogue with Zack Taylor every single play until you know time doesn’t allow any more debate or conversation about it and then Z Taylor will make a decision but Brian Callahan has tremendous input on a play-by-play basis even though he’s

Not the the voice that is going into the helmet of the quarterback in terms of the actual play call and in terms of uh game planning I it’s that’s it’s a big part of it a large large part of it is his baby now you know he’s got his other

Offensive coaches contributing there’s no question about that and Zack Taylor you know gets gets his fingers and thumb into it a little bit as well but Brian’s the coordinator of that putting all of that together and he’s uh he’s done a pretty darn good job I I think too from

A football standpoint uh a head coach in my mind in this era of football has to be able to deliver a clear message and Brian Callahan is as good a communicator as I’ve worked with I mean the guy is unbelievable in terms of uh having a message and being being able to

Communicate that message and then the other thing is uh relationship building I mean in today’s era that’s a very very important thing with uh today’s athlete and Brian Callahan is unbelievably talented in terms of his people skills building relationships with you know players coaches everybody in the

Organization I mean as far as a football coach he’s immensely talented as far as being a human being he’s even more so the dude is just one hell of a good guy no matter what profession he’s in I know his name came up Dave in the last cycle

A year ago when it comes to head coaching opportunities obviously he stay stayed put in Cincinnati and now kind of back around the carousel again is that something that folks in Cincinnati have been anticipating that Brian Callahan would likely be a head coach in the coming future and when did that start to

Come about for you guys when did you view him in that light well I think he he was a big part of the development of Joe borrow as quickly as Joe did develop now you have you know huge talent to work with that’s that’s a step number one that’s requirement number one but

Joe B will tell you that uh you know Zack Taylor Brian C Dan pitcher quarterback coach uh offensive coordinate and head coach respectively have done an unbelievable job with him you know and uh the years that he’s been fully healthy and available to the Bengals they’ve gone to the Super Bowl

And they’ve gone to the AFC Championship game in the two years that he’s been healthy the two years that he hasn’t you know they haven’t had that kind of success but then this year um I think the quarterback development thing even Rose to another level because down goes

Joe burrow and everybody’s like ah it’s over you know there’s seven he there’s seven games left I mean Jake browny had to come off the bench cold and go into the Baltimore Ravens game and Baltimore finish that game then start seven football games they went four and three

And could have even done better than that and Browning had some historic numbers I mean not just good numbers for a backup quarterback I mean he had NFL uh highs in terms of completion percentage yards for his first four starts of his NFL career so I mean the

Numbers were crazy and I mean he ends the season now that he’s got enough attempts to qualify it’s a SE number seven in the NFL in quarterback rating number one in completion percentage of over 70% just under eight yards per attempt which is fifth in the NFL I mean

They you know so people around the league man that’s a they’ve got an elite quarterback they have an elite backup quarterback these guys must know what the hell they’re doing uh in terms of putting together offenses and and they had to um you know uh the offensive game

Plan for Jake Browning was a little bit different than Joe burrow obviously because every quarterback has different strengths and weaknesses and you have to approach things accordingly and they just did a a hell of a job keeping the Bengals alive and B there’s disappointment that they didn’t make the

Playoffs but they did have a winning season for three years in a row and something to be said for that and and as I said that quarterback room is as good as any in the National Football League in terms of Jake Browning feels like after his performance he’s one of the

Top 32 in the NFL not number 33 you know not the best backup in the league he feels like he could be a starter somewhere but he knows that that’s out of his control and he’s happy with what he’s got going on in Cincinnati and the Bengals feel pretty uh pleased about it

And Brian Callahan has been a big big part of that for sure Dave lapam is our guest at DL in the trenches where you can follow him on Twitter uh the in the trenches podcast by the way there’s a great 35 minute sit down with Brian Callahan from this past season I would

Encourage any Titans fans to to go check out if they want to get to know a Titans coaching candidate also the Bengals radio analyst since 1986 so we were talking about it earlier in the show too Dave that Cincinnati and that three-week stretch against the Colts and against

The Vikings where as far as point total was the best offensive stretch of the season for the Bengals and Browning the quarterback for those three games how much of that do you attribute to Callahan I mean what adjustments you talk about how the game plan had to be different what adjustments did that

Coaching staff have to make with Browning as opposed to Bur and how big of a part was Brian Callahan in circumventing some of those challenges yeah I think a I think a big factor and and basically they they sat Jake Browning down I mean when he first

Came into the game against the Baltimore Ravens they’re like all right Jake what do you like best out of the game plan you know what what we stay away from he’s like look I I’ve I’m a backup quarterback you guys have work your asses off help me uh get ready for this

Moment just call the call the game plan don’t change anything and and to me that was a testament to how hard he worked how hard the coaches worked to have him ready for his moment and uh and he played well you know I mean it was a it

Was a game to the very very end against the Baltimore Ravens on the road a tough place to play then then you know it’s like okay well I know Jake feels comfortable under Center um Joe really loves the shotgun he he likes to look at the football field not turn his back you

Know when you’re under Center turn your back away from what’s going on in the back end to uh to execute a running game and that sort of thing Jake likes that he likes play action he uh move in and out of the pocket they do some of that

With Joe as well they just started emphasizing things that Jake Browning feels very very comfortable with and and they just progressed and added to those elements of uh of the offense and and and did a hell of a job and honestly Joe br br witnessed this whole thing and I

Have a feeling that some of the stuff that they evolved to with Jake Browning may stay in the offense and Joe burrow may be doing a little bit more of uh things other other than just shotgun I mean they were dead last in the NFL and snaps under Center uh with with Joel

Barl that might change I mean uh the the proof is in the pudding and um they were much more balanced offensively they got their running game going play action off the running game and and Jake really benefited from it big time I think Titans fans too when they look at the

Developments within that Bengals offense over the last two years some of the offensive line struggles that they were able to circumvent and getting to the Super Bowl but overall with Brian Callahan’s impact and who he is as a coach Dave Titans fans look at him and

They say well maybe he can bring bill over right maybe he can bring pops over one of the best offensive line coaches in the country uh I I know you you can’t sit here and project who Brian cahan would hire if he gets that head coaching opportunity but is there anything you

Can speak to on how big of an influence his father bill has had on him as a coach oh man just huge I mean you know um growing up around the game of football with his dad uh just you know he he’s a football lifer I probably he probably never envisioned himself doing

Anything else because you know what his dad was doing and um he wanted to be just like his dad and Dad’s a hell of a coach um you know he could an offensive line coach is not the best in the National Football League I think that uh

You know everybody was uh just going crazy over Joe Flacco which is which is good I mean that that he’s he earned that he’s worthy of that man that offense of line was beaten up and Bill Callahan kept that thing intact and that was one of the strengths of of their

Football team throughout the whole season with all the five quarterback changes and everything else and you have changes going on up front as well I mean man that’s a that’s a mry ground you don’t want to get on and uh coaches and people I know that uh I’m close to up in

The Cleveland Browns organization they’re like Bill Callahan should he he should be on the list for assistant coach of the year what he did with his offensive line in terms of dealing with injury uh as well as you know the people that were responsible for dealing with

The five quarterbacks uh with with the Cleveland Browns as well and then I mean you know bill was head coach himself in the National Football League and you know he’s one of the guys that get fired after going to a Super Bowl with the Raiders um brings his team to Super Bowl

And gets let go the following year I covered him uh doing Big 12 games with Fox Sports Net back when he was head coach uh in in the Collegiate at the Collegiate level and he was just he’s phenomenal I mean he’s he’s really really uh you know he’s like a football Savant so

Um Brian callingham was brought up in that environment and yeah he’s a he’s a he’s a football guy and I mean bill it all depends on Bill’s contractual situation and he may just say you know what you know Brian maybe it’s better if uh you know if you don’t have Dad there

You know might might cause more issues than uh than good who know I’m sure they’re talking through the whole thing but due to the fact that the Callahan family has been involved in the game of football at all levels uh High School collegiate and and professional for all these

Years I don’t think there’s a coach they don’t know so in my mind you know the coaching world is is Brian Callahan’s oyster in terms of who he might reach out to and try to contact and put together heck of a staff well you’re singing to Titans fans right now Dave

Especially just with the idea of Bill Callahan kind of being included as part of the package I’m with you we have no idea if that would be the case but if it was I think there are Legions of Titans fans that would slam their fist on the

Table and say make the higher for that alone and I wouldn’t blame them I would not blame them and you know it would be something where uh first year head coach things that uh you know Bill would say hey Brian you know what I remember my

First year and as a head coach here’s here’s some of the things that uh that cropped up things that you know had to deal with here’s a heads up on it and here’s a laundry list of them you know and then all of a sudden there’s no

Surprises you know I mean you get your dad as your number one consultant on your coaching staff um I mean every every coach has a best friend or somebody they’re very very close with either in football world and sometimes even in the football world and outside the football world combined in terms of

Friendships that have been struggled now you get your blood you know you get your dad I mean that’s like I mean who one thing one thing that you have to have in a coaching staff is trust what the hell trust I mean if you can’t trust your dad

Who can you trust I mean I mean that would be that would be like what what what a scenario that would be for young coach to have not only his father but his father has experienced everything that you’re going to have to experience as a first year head coach I mean he can

He can um maybe guide you away from some pitfalls it’ be awesome Dave lapam Our Guest Bengals radio analyst here on 1045 The Zone whenever we get into a coaching Carousel especially one as vast as this one right eight openings now seven after the Patriots make Gerard Mayo official

It feels like we you know we’re guilty of this on the media side fans certainly fall into this trap of kind of splitting him off into two categories right of offensive play color Ingenuity young offensive mind versus the leader of men quote unquote CEO type of coach it’s

Obviously a little more complicated than that Dave but I do think after watching a lot of Brian Callahan and his sit down with you and a lot of media appearances that it would be quite a departure as far as just coaching style right and personality versus what Mike frabel was

Here in Tennessee but in your sitd Downs with him what can you tell us about Brian Callahan and how he gets a message across to a locker room that has been obviously well received NFL PA surveys have him in the top five of offensive coordinators but in your conversations

With him what have you taken away in that regard you know the thing about Brian is it’s a two-way street any anytime that you’re um you know that that you’re dealing with Brian cahan he he wants to hear what you have to say as much as deliver his message because it

May impact uh what he’s going to deliver for a message so I mean I mean Brian Callahan is a is a very very intelligent guy and he wants as much information at his disposal before having an opinion making a decision whatever it may be and

Your side of it is is going to be critically important to him so that’s the one thing that I’ve uh you know I I’ve learned about him is he’s very very inclusive um it’s it’s a democracy man it’s not dictatorship you know and uh so it’s it’s it’s very very intriguing that

Way but he will make the final call but he will you know research and open every Avenue possible to help him make the best decision that he possibly can so um you know before he does communicate his message which he does exceedingly well I mean he’s he’s very bright he’s very

Articulate um he he’s impactful with with his messages but man he make sure before he delivers them that he feels comfortable about every every word and every punctuation point you talked about it off the top the the way his fingerprints are all over this Bengals offense and the influence that he has

Zack Taylor’s talked about it as well but could you get into the Dynamics of that a little more Dave not even necessarily with Callahan and Taylor specifically but just that dynamic between a non-play calling offensive coordinator and the play calling head coach kind of what has to happen for

That to work as it obviously has in Cincinnati yeah I mean I I do think that uh you know a play caller even if it’s an offensive coordinator that’s a play caller there’s going to be another coach in the booth or another coach on the sideline that he’s gonna Lean Into You

Know I mean it’s it’s uh very rarely is it all right I don’t want anybody to say a damn word to me I don’t know maybe Shanahan’s like that Mike Shanahan stocks that sideline and I’m not sure it it seems like he’s talking to people it seems like there’s communication going

On I’d be stunned if this there’s not um but you know and and Brian is is the the Chief Soldier that uh that the Zach Taylor will lean on from a play calling standpoint so uh like I said I mean he’s he’s very very involved on a snap by

Snap basis and you know I I know when uh when the defense is out in the football field he and Brian will talk about okay what what we do the last series uh you know how did they adjust to it how do you think the next sequence should go I

Mean they’re they’re always in communication so you know it’s not like he’s up there you know sitting on his hands after he puts the game plan together you know all during the week um and and he does he works tireless hours boy putting it together he grind he is a

Grinder and he understands the grind of the National Football League like I said his dad he grew up watching his dad do it you know at the Collegiate level as an assistant coach then a head coach then you know same thing at the professional level so he understands the

Dynamic and the importance of every level of it position coach coordinator head coach uh what the roles are how they should be approached and um I think you know I just think that he’d be I at some point there has to be fun in everything that you’re doing or you’ll

Burn out man and and um Brian Callahan understands that it there has to be some some fun and and he he he approaches it that way he’s he’s always trying to look for and I’m not saying stupid levity things I’m I’m just talking about making the occupation fun because boy it will

Eat you up it’ll grind you it’ll grind you into dust Dave lapam has been our guest on 1045 The Zone Dave thanks so much for the time for the perspective really appreciate and hope we get the chance to catch up down the road all righty Lucas

Thank you very much at DL inth trenches uh seriously go check out that podcast you can find it on YouTube wherever you get your podcast even if just for that 35 minute conversation with Brian Callahan Dave caught up with him uh at some point I believe during the bye uh

During the course of this last season when the Bengals were still trying to get things figured out with Joe burrow hobbled with the calf injury and they were kind of rounding into form offensively uh just if you want some some nuanced perspective on Brian Callahan who the Titans have requested

Uh or contacted for a second and in-person interview Michael on the F&M Bank chat says ham I’ll roll with Callahan did that convince you was that convers ation from Dave lapam enough to get you off the train of if he’s not calling plays I don’t want

Him because it was enough for Miami when they hired Mike McDaniel right it was enough for the Titans when they hired Matt laflor to be the offensive coordinator rael’s first offensive coordinator in 2018 he was not calling plays when he was the OC of the LA Rams under Shawn McVey just like you

Shouldn’t let that def defensive tag be a deal breaker don’t let the not primary play caller on Game Day tag be a deal breaker if you’re bringing in an offensive mind because he’s going to have a plan he’s going to have a philosophy an identity that we’ve played

Some for you we we’ve heard from Bri Brian Callahan on this show we talked about it in hour one you can go back and listen to the podcast because if what you want is a modernized offense well he’s got it and he’s got the resume to back it up with

What they’ve done in Cincinnati so uh Brian Callahan who we’ve talked a lot about today because he’s the only candidate that we’ve seen the Titans have contacted for that second interview but interesting stuff there uh interesting stuff from Dave lapam again at DL in the trenches the Bengals radio

Analyst in the trenches also the name of the podcast when we come back there is a story in the NBA that relates to this show somehow and we’ll wrap up the show do the polls last call for phone calls 615 737 1045 on 1045 The Zone

The Titans have requested to interview Bengals OC Brian Callahan for a second time, and Bengals Radio Analyst Dave Lapham joined The Buck Reising Show to offer perspective on Callahan as a candidate.