Titans promote Carthon, announce Callahan hire

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans finalized their football structure Wednesday.

The team announced Ran Carthon has been promoted to executive vice president/general manager, Chad Brinker has been promoted to president of football operations, and Brian Callahan has been hired to be its head coach.

Callahan comes to the Titans after spending the past five seasons as the Cincinnati Bengals‘ offensive coordinator.

“This is an exciting time for our franchise, and we’re thrilled to have Brian as our head coach,” Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said. “We went through a thorough candidate search and Brian stood out as the best person to lead our football team. I want to thank the other candidates who were part of this process and wish them well moving forward.”

Tennessee was in search of someone to further develop second-year quarterback Will Levis. Callahan’s extensive history working with quarterbacks was one of the reasons the Titans made him their choice.

Callahan’s résumé includes his work with Peyton Manning as an offensive assistant during the Denver Broncos‘ Super Bowl-winning season in 2015. Matthew Stafford posted 4,000-plus passing yards in 2016 and 2017 when he had Callahan as his quarterbacks coach with the Detroit Lions. Derek Carr posted his first 4,000-yard passing season with Callahan as his position coach for the Raiders in 2018.

Carthon will now oversee all areas that impact the football team such as roster control, team activities and personnel decisions including draft and free agency acquisitions. Tennessee’s coaching staff will report to Carthon. He will also have oversight of scouting, sports medicine and player engagement.

“Over the past year, Ran has impressed me and our staff with his innovative approach to roster building,” Adams Strunk said. “Ran’s exceptional reputation around the league as a talent evaluator and culture builder was a clear competitive advantage during last year’s free agency and draft process, as well as our recent search for a head coach. Simply put, Ran Carthon makes the Tennessee Titans a destination for the league’s top talent. By expanding his role to include full roster control and oversight of the coaching staff, our organization will now benefit more completely from Ran’s unique ability to build and lead a championship-caliber football team.”

Brinker, who moves from assistant general manager into a newly created role for the organization, will oversee the football departments including salary cap management, analytics and strategy, communications and information systems.

He will also manage team operations, including security, video, equipment and grounds, and will continue to provide scouting evaluations for prospects in college and the NFL.

“As our league continues to evolve in areas like analytics, sports science, and technology, football organizations have become more complex and multifaceted,” Adams Strunk said. “I want our football operation to be at the forefront of the NFL as teams continue to find new competitive advantages. In this new role, Chad will blend his executive experience with his strengths in football and scouting to ensure our football operation continues to innovate and grow as new opportunities emerge. Chad’s oversight of these areas will allow Ran to focus his full attention and energy on building and leading a championship football team.”