Buccaneers Interview Brian Callahan For OC; Mike McDaniel On Radar

Nearly three months after his Titans firing, Brian Callahan has resurfaced on the coaching radar. The Buccaneers announced they have interviewed the veteran staffer for their offensive coordinator position.

The interview, which took place Friday, is the Bucs’ first since they fired Josh Grizzard after one season in the role. Callahan has six seasons as an NFL OC under his belt, but he is coming off a rough Titans stint that ended midway through his second season at the helm.

Callahan went 4-19 as Titans HC, with the hire reflecting poorly on Amy Adams Strunk seeing as she fired Mike Vrabel — rather than trading his rights — in order to get a jump on the 2024 coaching market. Vrabel is one of the favorites for Coach of the Year honors after going 14-3 with the Patriots. Callahan’s status changed when the Titans fired the GM who hired him (Ran Carthon), elevating Chad Brinker to president of football operations and hiring Mike Borgonzi as GM. Six games into his second season, he was out.

The Titans had struggled during Will Levis‘ disappointing second season as the starter, and they were not showing many signs of life to start the Cam Ward era. Tennessee ranked 31st in scoring offense through six games this season; Mike McCoy‘s interim HC stint only brought the team up to 30th, however. Still, Callahan has been off the radar since the Titans bailed on him early.

A non-play-calling OC for six seasons in Cincinnati, Callahan had helped develop Joe Burrow into a superstar. The Bengals made back-to-back AFC championship game appearances, but Zac Taylor did not see either of his coordinators hired as a head coach until 2024. Callahan, 41, has no history with Todd Bowles or Jason Licht.

While the Bucs have interviewed Callahan, ESPN’s Jeff Darlington notes they are one of the teams eyeing Mike McDaniel for an OC post. McDaniel is a name to keep an eye on for the Bucs, per Darlington, though other teams are believed to be interested in the recently fired Dolphins leader for an OC role. The Titans, however, have scheduled a meeting with McDaniel to discuss the job Callahan recently held. The Browns are also believed to be considering McDaniel for their HC position, though no interview has been scheduled yet.

The prospect of McDaniel staying in Florida would be interesting, as would him agreeing to sign up for a team with a head coach on the hot seat. Then again, the Bucs have promoted from within to fill their HC job twice in the past decade, elevating Dirk Koetter and then Bowles in that span. Working with Baker Mayfield and an array of skill-position talent would naturally be appealing as well, but the McDaniel market is crowded presently.