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Titans To Retain Justin Outten, Chris Harris, Others On Staff

February 13th, 2024 at 4:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brian Callahan‘s first Titans staff will include a host of outside hires — one of which being his father, offensive line coach Bill Callahan — and a handful of holdovers. Among the holdovers: two staffers who have either been coordinators or were on the OC/DC carousel recently.

We heard last week the Titans were blocking Justin Outten interviews. Tuesday, the team revealed Outten will be part of Brian Callahan’s 2024 staff as tight ends coach. This will be a shift for Outten, who was the team’s run-game coordinator in 2023. In addition to Outten, the Titans are retaining assistant Chris Harris.

Outten served as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator in 2022, mostly operating in a non-play-calling capacity — save for the final two games, following Nathaniel Hackett‘s firing — during a disastrous season for the AFC West team. Outten interviewed for the Ravens’ OC job in 2023 but wound up in Tennessee. A Packers staffer prior to his Denver year, Outten was a Mike Vrabel hire. Callahan’s first staff will feature a few of those.

Harris interviewed for the Bears and Jaguars’ DC jobs this year and met with the Texans and 49ers about their DC vacancies in 2023. Harris, 41, spent three seasons coaching Commanders DBs under Ron Rivera. The Titans lured him away in 2023. Harris will remain in place as Tennessee’s defensive pass-game coordinator, along with his role as cornerbacks coach. This will be Harris and DC Dennard Wilson‘s first time working together.

The Titans are also retaining assistant special teams coach Anthony Levine, assistant D-line coach Clinton McMillan, defensive quality control coach Lori Locust and former Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker as an offensive assistant. The Titans are still searching for a special teams coordinator, but Levine will work under that to-be-determined staffer. Stocker, a Titan from 2017-18, and Levine wrapped their playing careers after the 2021 season.

Among the previously unmentioned new hires in Tennessee, Randy Jordan will take over as running backs coach. A former Raiders backup running back, Jordan spent the past 10 years as Washington’s RBs coach. Jordan was in place throughout Jay Gruden‘s HC tenure and through Rivera’s. Payton McCollum will leave Indianapolis for Nashville, moving from Colts offensive assistant to Titans assistant wide receivers coach. Ben Bloom will also come on board as the Titans’ OLBs coach. Bloom spent the past four seasons in Cleveland, working as Myles Garrett‘s position coach in 2023. Bloom previously spent nine seasons on Jason Garrett‘s Cowboys staff. Myles Garrett’s Defensive Player of the Year season aside, the Browns hired ex-Texans D-line coach Jacques Cesaire to replace Bloom last month.

Tennessee is also bringing back Tracy Rocker for a second tour of duty on staff. The Titans hired Rocker as their defensive line coach, which will mark a return for the veteran assistant, who served in this capacity under Mike Munchak from 2011-13. Rocker was also the Tennessee Volunteers’ D-line coach from 2017-19. Rocker, 57, does have a history with Wilson. The two coached together on the Eagles’ staff from 2021-22; Rocker stayed on this past season as Philly’s D-line coach.

Titans To Hire Bo Hardegree; Team Blocking Justin Outten Interviews?

February 8th, 2024 at 11:08am CST by Sam Robinson

Two one-and-done AFC West offensive coordinators are likely to be part of the Titans’ 2024 staff. One of them will be recent Raiders interim OC Bo Hardegree, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Hardegree is set to become the Titans’ QBs coach, which was his role to start last season in Las Vegas.

The Raiders elevated Hardegree shortly after the Josh McDaniels firing, with OC Mick Lombardi dismissed as well. Hardegree operated as Las Vegas’ play-caller during the season’s second half. The Raiders, however, made it known they were moving on from Hardegree upon elevating Antonio Pierce to their full-time HC post. An extensive OC search ended with Luke Getsy in Vegas, but the team’s previous play-caller will have a home elsewhere in the AFC.

[RELATED: Titans Hire Bill Callahan As O-Line Coach]

Hardegree has a history with new Titans HC Brian Callahan. The two were both offensive assistants in John Fox‘s final Broncos season (2014). While Hardegree has mostly held offensive assistant roles in his career, the 39-year-old staffer served as the Dolphins’ QBs coach for three seasons under Adam Gase. Hardegree was the Raiders’ QBs coach for 1 1/2 seasons before the November promotion.

Following McDaniels and Lombardi’s exits, the Raiders averaged 23 points per game. That ranked in the top half of the league, and it came with fourth-round rookie QB Aidan O’Connell at the controls. This production, which featured a larger dose of Josh Jacobs compared to the season’s first half, has helped Hardegree land on his feet.

The Titans also may have plans to retain one of Mike Vrabel‘s assistants on offense. Hired in 2023 — after an interesting season as Denver’s OC — Justin Outten appears in Callahan’s plans. The team has blocked other clubs from interviewing Outten, according to TheDraftNetwork.com’s Justin Melo (X link), who adds Outten has received interest for run-game coordinator roles. Teams can block lateral moves involving assistants under contract. Outten served as the Titans’ run-game coordinator in 2023.

Despite being the OC for a Broncos offense that cratered during Nathaniel Hackett‘s disastrous season in charge, Outten generated interest from teams last year. The Ravens interviewed him for their OC job, and the Rams considered a hire. Amid Denver’s struggles — which produced 2022’s 32nd-ranked scoring offense — Hackett bypassed Hackett and gave QBs coach Klint Kubiak play-calling duties late that year. Following Hackett’s firing, however, Outten took over the Denver play-calling role.

Kubiak is on track to become the Saints’ OC, while Hackett remains the Jets’ play-caller. Hardegree and likely Outten will work under Callahan and new OC Nick Holz in Nashville.

2023 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

February 28th, 2023 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the head coaching carousel spun for several weeks, many teams made coordinator changes as well. Teams seeking new head coaches are conducting OC and DC searches, and a handful of other teams that did not make HC changes are also searching for top assistants.

This is a big year for offensive coordinator hires, with nearly half the league making changes. Here are the teams searching for new OCs and DCs. As new searches emerge, they will be added to the list.

Updated 3-1-23 (3:31pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals 

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Greg Roman)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Ben McAdoo)

  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach, (Rams): Hired
  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Kellen Moore)

  • Brian Angelichio, tight ends coach (Vikings): Interviewed 2/2
  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed
  • Jeff Nixon, running backs coach (Panthers): Interviewed
  • Brian Schottenheimer, offensive consultant (Cowboys): Hired

Denver Broncos (Out: Justin Outten)

Houston Texans (Out: Pep Hamilton)

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Parks Frazier)

  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Tee Martin, wide receivers coach (Ravens): Interview requested

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Matt Nagy, quarterbacks coach (Chiefs): Hired

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Joe Lombardi)

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Liam Coen)

New York Jets (Out: Mike LaFleur)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Shane Steichen)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Byron Leftwich)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Todd Downing)

Washington Commanders (Out: Scott Turner)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Vance Joseph)

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dean Pees)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Leslie Frazier)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Al Holcomb)

  • Ejiro Evero, former defensive coordinator (Broncos): Hired
  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): Interviewed
  • Marquand Manuel, safeties coach (Jets): Interviewed
  • Kris Richard, co-defensive coordinator (Saints): Interviewed

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans 

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Renaldo Hill)

  • Derrick Ansley, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Promoted
  • Doug Belk, defensive coordinator (Houston): Interviewed
  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Interviewed

Miami Dolphins (Out: Josh Boyer)

Minnesota Vikings (Out: Ed Donatell)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Ryan Nielsen, Kris Richard)

  • Joe Woods, former defensive coordinator (Browns): Hired

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Jonathan Gannon)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: DeMeco Ryans)

  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): On radar
  • Chris Harris, defensive backs coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/31
  • Kris Kocurek, defensive line coach (49ers): On radar
  • Steve Wilks, former interim head coach (Panthers): Hired

Titans To Add Justin Outten To Staff

February 14th, 2023 at 5:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Weeks after Nathaniel Hackett secured an immediate bounce-back opportunity, his top Denver lieutenant on offense will land on his feet as well. The Titans are hiring Justin Outten, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Despite limited experience and the Broncos’ stunningly woeful season on offense, Outten generated interest from a few teams. Most notably, the Ravens interviewed the one-year Denver offensive coordinator twice for their OC job. Perhaps not coincidentally, this Titans staff addition comes hours after the Ravens’ Todd Monken OC hire.

Outten, 39, will join Tennessee’s staff as running backs coach and run-game coordinator, per Pelissero. Derrick Henry‘s new position coach has not directly overseen running backs at the NFL level, going from Packers tight ends coach to Broncos OC last year. Outten, however, interviewed with the Titans and drew interest from the Rams this offseason. He will end up working on Tim Kelly‘s staff in Tennessee.

After attempting to bring other Packers assistants to Denver, Hackett ended up zeroing in on Outten. The Broncos’ offense produced a spectacular dud in 2022, regressing to last place despite the Russell Wilson acquisition. Hackett also went around Outten when he relinquished play-calling duties late in the season, handing the reins to QBs coach Klint Kubiak. Following Hackett’s ouster, Outten called plays for the final two Broncos games. This Titans pact continues a steady rise for Outten, who began his coaching career with an eight-season run at the high school level. Outten began his NFL career as an intern in 2016.

The Broncos posted 24- and 31-point outings during Outten’s play-calling weeks — a narrow loss to the Chiefs and a Week 18 win over the Chargers — but the team hired Sean Payton. The longtime Saints play-caller will be calling plays in Denver. The Broncos are, however, still searching for new offensive and defensive coordinators.

Todd Monken, Justin Outten Set For Second Ravens OC Interviews

February 3rd, 2023 at 9:21am CST by Ben Levine

FEBRUARY 3: Monken has reached the second-interview stage with the Ravens, who are going through a thorough search to fill their offensive coordinator post. The Ravens will meet with the Georgia OC for a second time Friday, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Monken joins Seahawks quarterbacks coach Dave Canales and Justin Outten as finalists for the Ravens’ play-calling position.

Outten, who made the leap from Packers tight ends coach to Broncos OC last year, has also advanced to the finals of this pursuit, Garafolo adds (on Twitter). That meeting is expected for next week. The Broncos’ 32nd-ranked offense has thus far not hurt the key principals behind that attack, with Nathaniel Hackett landing the Jets’ OC job and Outten in play to replace Roman. The Broncos initially passed over Outten for play-calling duties; Hackett gave QBs coach Klint Kubiak the reins amid the offense’s persistent struggles. But Outten called Denver’s plays in the final two weeks.

JANUARY 28: For the second straight year, the Ravens could turn to the college ranks to fill a coordinator vacancy. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter), the Ravens interviewed Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken for their own OC job this week.

[RELATED: Bucs To Interview Georgia OC Todd Monken]

Monken had recent stints as the Buccaneers and Browns offensive coordinator before joining Georgia as their offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2020. Per Pelissero, the 56-year-old has been looking to return to the NFL, and he should have a good opportunity this offseason. We heard yesterday that the Buccaneers also interviewed Monken for their offensive coordinator vacancy.

Monken was a potential NFL head coach candidate in 2019. Following his one-and-done stint in Cleveland, he joined a Georgia squad that has since won back-to-back national championships. Georgia has ranked as a top-10 offense nationally in each of the past two seasons, and the SEC powerhouse is paying the coach accordingly; per the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud (on Twitter), Monken earns the highest salary among college assistants ($2.01MM).

The Ravens and OC Greg Roman parted ways following the team’s playoff loss. A number of names have emerged as potential candidates for the open positoon, including:

Ravens To Interview Justin Outten For OC Position

January 23rd, 2023 at 2:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

The list of candidates for the Ravens’ vacant offensive coordinator position continues to grow. Baltimore has an interview lined up with Broncos OC Justin Outten, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).

The Ravens had been linked to four other candidates prior to this news (Zac Robinson, Chad O’Shea, Dave Canales and Brian Angelichio), as the team searches for its Greg Roman replacement. The latter’s departure came as little surprise given the increasing calls for his firing which emerged during the season, but it created an intriguing vacancy given the uncertain future surrounding quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Outten, 39, followed Nathaniel Hackett to Denver last offseason as a familiar coach to help form his first Broncos staff. Things did not at all go according to plan, however, and Hackett failed to last the full season before being let go. Not long before that happened, he ceded play-calling duties to QBs coach Klint Kubiak.

However, Outten did call plays for the final two games of the season, the time in which Jerry Rosburg operated as Denver’s interim head coach. That brief stretch marked the first time the former was given such responsibilities at the pro level, as his NFL resume is relatively short compared to some other staffers around the league. Outten spent three years as Green Bay’s tight ends coach before what will likely be a one-and-done stint in Denver. He was an assistant with the Falcons in 2017 and 2018.

Despite his relative lack of experience, Outten has drawn interest in this year’s sizeable OC market. Both the Titans and Rams have requested interviews with him, although in both cases it was not specified at the time what position they were seeking to give him. Tennessee is looking for a new play-caller, but, given the news that Sean McVay is remaining in Los Angeles, the Rams are not.

In Baltimore, Outten would take on play-calling duties in the event he were to be hired at the OC level. The Ravens established themselves as a dominant run team during Roman’s tenure, but deficiencies in the pass game were prevalent both with and without Jackson in the lineup. That area is therefore expected to be a main point of focus in the team’s ultimate hire, though head coach John Harbaugh has maintained that a strong ground presence will still be relied upon moving forward. Whether Outten has a part to play in that could be revealed in the near future.

Titans To Interview Charles London For OC; Titans, Rams Seeking Justin Outten Meetings

January 19th, 2023 at 1:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Charles London‘s schedule is filling up. In addition to his Thursday interview with the Commanders, the Falcons’ quarterbacks coach will meet with the Titans, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports tweets.

Tennessee is also interested in Justin Outten, though it is not certain the Denver OC is on the radar to replace Todd Downing. The Titans want to interview Outten for an unspecified staff position, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes (on Twitter). Nathaniel Hackett brought Outten over from Green Bay, making it unlikely he stays in Denver. Additionally, Pelissero tweets the Rams want to meet with Outten. Both the Rams and Titans are looking for an OC, but each team is requesting an Outten meeting for an unspecified job on their offensive staff.

[RELATED: Broncos Block Ejiro Evero From Falcons DC Interview]

London has been Atlanta’s QBs coach for two years, coming over shortly after Arthur Smith was hired, and has a history with the Titans. Although London’s roles as position coaches have come elsewhere, he stopped through Tennessee as an offensive assistant in 2011. That may be less relevant than London having spent two seasons working under Smith. The Titans have promoted their past two OCs (Smith, Downing) from within.

Outten went through a rather complicated year in Denver. Hackett attempted to interview Adam Stenavich and Jason Vrable, but the Packers blocked those moves. Those denials led to Outten’s Denver arrival. At the time, the Denver OC job was a non-play-calling opportunity. That changed down the stretch, with the embattled Hackett handing play-calling duties to QBs coach Klint Kubiak. This move bypassed Outten, who was previously the Packers’ tight ends coach. Outten, however, called plays during Denver’s final two regular-season games.

The Titans have already reached out to two Chiefs staffers — Eric Bieniemy and Matt Nagy — about the OC position. Because Andy Reid is the Chiefs’ primary play-caller, the Chiefs cannot block Bieniemy from taking the interview; the next Titans OC will call plays. More names should enter the equation soon, however.

The Rams’ OC search has not heated up yet, with Sean McVay recently indicating he will be back for a seventh season. An Outten hire for an unspecified position would be more interesting for the Titans, considering their play-caller is not yet in place. McVay is the Rams’ play-caller and has gone without an OC before.

Broncos Hire Justin Outten As OC

February 2nd, 2022 at 10:26am CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos are set to hire Packers tight ends coach Justin Outten as their new offensive coordinator (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). He’s now set to guide the offense for the new regime and take over where Pat Shurmur left off. 

[RELATED: Broncos Hire Nathaniel Hackett As Head Coach]

The Broncos were also said to be considering Klint Kubiak for the OC job, but he’s likely to wind up as the team’s quarterbacks coach. Kubiak just helped Kirk Cousins turn in one of his best seasons in Minnesota, so he figures to be a huge asset to new head coach Nathaniel Hackett.

Outten has been with the Packers since 2019. The Packers were the first team to employ him as a position coach, so this move to OC in Denver marks a huge step up. Before that, he was an intern under Kyle Shanahan with the Falcons and a high school assistant coach.

Interestingly, the Broncos’ first OC target was Packers offensive line coach Adam Stenavich, but the Packers installed him as their own OC. After that, they eyed Green Bay wide receivers coach Jason Vrable, but Packers head coach Matt LaFleur blocked the request. Chargers tight ends coach Kevin Koger was also in the running for Denver, but it sounds like Outten has edged him out.

Even with Outten on board, Hackett is expected to call the plays for his West Coast offense.

Broncos To Interview Packers’ Justin Outten For OC; Klint Kubiak On Radar

February 1st, 2022 at 6:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nathaniel Hackett‘s offensive coordinator search has hit multiple snags, with the Packers nixing meetings with multiple candidates. The new Broncos HC is still aiming to bring over a Green Bay assistant to be his right-hand man on offense in Denver.

Packers tight ends coach Justin Outten is expected to interview for the Broncos’ OC job, Mike Klis of 9News reports. Outten has been with the Packers since 2019. Although Outten was never a position coach prior to the Green Bay gig, he spent time under Kyle Shanahan with the Falcons as an intern in 2016. A high school assistant coach for eight years prior to trekking to Atlanta, Outten spent three seasons with the Falcons and emerged on the Broncos’ radar over the weekend.

The Broncos are also planning to interview Klint Kubiak, Klis adds, though they might not be targeting him for their OC job. The second-generation coach is being considered for another top staff position. This could mean a gig as quarterbacks coach, Kubiak’s role in Minnesota prior to rising to offensive coordinator in 2021. Klint Kubiak was with the Broncos as an offensive assistant from 2016-18, the first of those seasons coming during father Gary Kubiak‘s HC stint. The Panthers interviewed Klint Kubiak, 34, for their OC role last month.

The Packers promoted Hackett’s initial Broncos OC target, O-line coach Adam Stenavich, to replace him as OC. Matt LaFleur also nixed Hackett’s plans to interview Green Bay wide receivers coach Jason Vrable. This led the Broncos to Outten, who joins Chargers tight ends coach Kevin Koger as OC candidates. It is interesting this job could come down to two tight ends coaches with a combined four years of position-coaching experience. But Hackett is planning to bring the West Coast Offense back to Denver; Outten and Kubiak have recent experience in this system. Hackett is expected to call plays for the Broncos.

While the Broncos requested a defensive coordinator interview with Ravens D-line coach Anthony Weaver, Rams secondary coach Ejiro Evero — a longtime friend of Hackett’s — can probably be considered the favorite for that job.

Packers Promoting Stenavich To OC

January 29th, 2022 at 10:30pm CST by Ely Allen

With former-offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett leaving to become the head coach of the Broncos and quarterbacks coach/passing-game coordinator Luke Getsy expected to join Matt Eberflus‘ new staff as the Bears’ offensive coordinator, the Packers needed to move quickly to start rebuilding their offensive staff. The first such move was reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport in a tweet this evening announcing that Green Bay will be promoting offensive line coach and running game coordinator Adam Stenavich to be the team’s new offensive coordinator.

Stenavich got his first NFL opportunity in 2017 as the 49ers assistant offensive line coach after some college coaching stints at Michigan, Northern Arizona, and San Jose State. After two seasons in San Francisco, Stenavich got hired in Green Bay at his most recent position before getting today’s promotion.

The Packers had previously denied the Broncos’ request to interview Stenavich and this most recent report confirms the suspicions that soon followed that denial. Stenavich will be shouldered with the burden of building a new offensive coaching staff. It is expected that, after being denied Stenavich, the Broncos will pursue Hackett’s former tight ends coach Justin Outten to become the offensive coordinator in Denver, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter).

In three seasons with Stenavich as the run game coordinator, the Packers have ranked 15th (2019), 8th (2020), and 18th (2021) in the NFL in total rushing yards. Combining the rushing offense’s inconsistency from year to year with questions in the air about quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ future, Stenavich could have a difficult task in front of him following a season where the Packers’ offense helped Green Bay to the NFC’s only first round bye.

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