Former Titans coach Brian Callahan likely shouldn’t have been surprised that he was fired. Based on a new report from Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, Callahan probably should have seen it coming.
McCormick reports that the decision to remove play-calling duties from Callahan and to shift them to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree after a Week 3 loss to the Colts likely came from owner Amy Adams Strunk.
Per the report, many on the coaching staff believe the decision wasn’t made by Callahan, but came from president of football operations Chad Brinker and G.M. Mike Borgonzi, with the message given to them by ownership to make it happen.
On one hand, Strunk (like all owners) has the ability to make any decisions she wants. On the other hand, the best owners trust their football people to make the football decisions. The not-best owners meddle where they arguably shouldn’t.
But, alas, dysfunctional teams do dysfunctional things. Look at Monday, when the Titans announced Callahan’s firing and then delayed the naming of an interim head coach by hours. All the while, the clock was ticking toward the return of former Titans coach Mike Vrabel to Nashville, with a Patriots team that has won as many games through Week 6 as the Titans have won in 23 games since firing Vrabel.
The situation serves as a renewed reminder to head-coaching candidates who consider taking employment with franchises that have a history of curious decisions. Look at how ownership has behaved. Consider how past coaches have been treated. Set aside your ambitions and ask yourself the hard question of whether you’ll simply be the next one, sooner or later, to be on the wrong end of dysfunctional decision-making.
While the buyout is nice, the best coaches would be wise to wait for the right jobs to come open — and to be pragmatic about the risks associated with a team that has a well-greased revolving door.
