After firing the head coach Brian Callahan On Monday, the 1-5 Titans will advance with Mike McCoy assume this role on an interim basis. McCoy is unlikely to do well enough to take over full-time, meaning the Titans’ head coach for 2026 will likely come from outside the organization. With that in mind, Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and Steelers O.C. Arthur Smith are the first names to watch, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.
While the Titans hired a first-time head coach in Callahan, they would get an experienced option in Nagy, who was at the helm of the Bears from 2018 to 2021. Chicago went 12-4 and earned a playoff berth in Nagy’s first year on the job, although that proved to be the high point. The Bears also made the playoffs in 2020 despite going 8-8, their second straight .500 effort, but a 6-11 performance in 2021 led to Nagy’s ouster. He compiled a 34-31 record and an 0-2 mark in the playoffs during his time with the franchise.
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After his run with the Bears ended, Nagy returned to Kansas City for his second tenure with the Chiefs. He has held several offensive positions since joining the team in 2022, including serving as O coordinator since 2023.
The Chiefs have been to three straight Super Bowls and won two with Nagy returning to their team. However, the head coach Andy Reid – not Nagy – calls the plays. Still, it’s worth noting that Nagy, 47, has a connection to the Titans general manager. Mike Borgonziwho served in various positions with the Chiefs from 2009 to 2024.
The Titans and their fans are familiar with Smith, a Tennessee native who served in multiple coaching roles with the team from 2011 to 2020. Smith parlayed a successful two-year stint as the Titans’ offensive coordinator into landing his first head coaching job with the Falcons. That proved to be a short-lived stint, however, as the Falcons moved on after Smith guided three straight 7-10 seasons.
In his first year with the Steelers in 2024, Smith oversaw an offense ranked 16th in points and 21st in yards while struggling to find an answer at quarterback between Russell Wilson And Justin Fields. This year’s Steelers got better play under center Aaron Rodgers and rank 14th in the league in points per game, but they are only 29th in yards per game.
While Nagy and Smith could play significant roles in the Titans’ coaching search, it’s unlikely the team will hire an offensive coordinator from the Bills. Joe BradyCBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports. Brady, 36, has called plays for Buffalo’s prolific offense since taking over. Ken Dorsey in 2023. However, after the failure of the Callahan experiment, there is doubt that the Titans will hire an inexperienced 30-year-old as head coach for the second time in a row.
