HEADLINES

Payton McCollum

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.

NFL Coaching Updates: Chargers, Bucs, Colts

April 14th, 2023 at 10:01pm CST by Ely Allen

The Chargers announced that they had officially finalized their coaching staff for the 2023 season this week. Los Angeles had a semi-busy offseason after changing both coordinators but, ultimately, kept most of the same support staff around the new coaches. We’ve noted a number of their offseason changes already on this site, but a few in this week’s announcement were new.

The Chargers used the announcement to officially announce the hiring of new offensive assistant Phil Serchia. For the last three years, Serchia has served as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas.

Serchia is likely taking the spot of former offensive assistant Mike Hiestand. Hiestand will be changing sides of the ball to serve on defense as the team’s front seven specialist. Also taking a role change is former defensive assistant John Timu. Timu has been promoted to the position of assistant defensive line coach for the 2023 season.

Here are a few other coaching updates from around the league:

  • The Buccaneers have added an experienced veteran to their coaching staff in a minor role, according to team senior writer/editor Scott Smith. David Raih has been brought on to serve in the role of offensive analyst. Raih has had stints as a wide receivers coach for the Packers and Cardinals but most recently served as offensive coordinator at Vanderbilt in 2021.
  • The Colts made their one and only change to their defensive staff last week, hiring Payton McCollum to the role of defensive assistant, according to Josh Alper of NBC Sports. McCollum only has offensive experience on his resume, serving as an offensive analyst at Eastern Michigan and quarterbacks coach at the University of Washington in recent years. His only NFL experience dates back to 2017 when McCollum spent two seasons as an offensive assistant with the Lions.