By Ron Wynn
NASHVILLE, TN — New Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan last week made the announcements of several major additions to his revamped coaching staff, all of whom will be critical to helping the team return to contender status after two seasons of double digit losses. Last Friday it was reported by the NFL Network Callahan was hiring former Jacksonville Jaguars passing game coordinator Nick Holz to be the new offensive coordinator. His primary job will be helping build the offense and devising schemes against defenses. Though he didn’t call plays in his former job with the Cincinnati Bengals as offensive coordinator, Callahan has announced that he will call plays with the Titans this season.
Holz spent one year with Jacksonville, and prior to that a year with UNLV as their offensive coordinator. He started his coaching career with the Raiders as an offensive assistant in 2012, staying with them through 2021 and eventually becoming their assistant wide receivers coach. He and Callahan worked together on the Raiders staff in 2018, and the Raiders considered Holz such an asset he survived multiple head coaching changes over his tenure with them.
It’s being widely regarded around the NFL as a coup that Callahan was able to tap the family tree and add a highly praised veteran coach his staff. His father Bill Callahan will be the new offensive line coach. He’s spent the last four seasons with the Cleveland Browns. The Titans offensive line has been a disaster area the last two seasons, and was ranked by Pro Football Focus last season as the worse unit in the NFL on either offense or defense. The elder Callahan’s role in reshaping this portion of the team is a critical one.
But another area of unsatisfactory performance was the wide receivers unit, where only DeAndre Hopkins provided a consistent threat. The Titans also addressed that last week by hiring wide receiver coach Tyke Tolbert. He is entering his 21st season coaching in the NFL, and most recently served as the Bears’ wide receivers coach for two seasons. Under Tolbert, wide receiver DJ Moore posted 96 receptions for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns last year, all of which were career highs.
The Titans previously announced Wednesday the hiring of Baltimore Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson as their defensive coordinator, according to ESPN. He was the first coach added to Callahan’s staff. Wilson just completed his 12th season as an NFL coach, and ninth leading defensive backs at the pro level. He spent two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he served as defensive passing game coordinator (2022) and a defensive backs coach (2021 and ‘22). Wilson helped Philadelphia establish the NFL’s No. 1 pass defense (179.8 yards allowed per game), leading to a Super Bowl LVII appearance.
Before working for the Eagles, Wilson spent four years with the New York Jets (2017-20). In addition, the Titans have hired former Falcons defensive coaches Steven Jackson (DBs) and Frank Bush (LBs) to join Wilson. It will be the second coaching stint with Titans for both of them. Jackson, who played for Oilers/Titans from 1991-99, was the assistant defensive backs coach for Tennessee in 2016-17. Bush played for the Oilers in 1985-86 and served as the Titans linebackers coach in 2011-12.
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