Insider Reveals Titans List of HC Candidates

The Tennessee Titans winning two of their last three games (though a miraculous feat for the franchise by recent standards) can't distract from the fact that the team is operating without a tenured head coach. Not only that, but coming off of one of the worst hires by any team in relevant memory — in Brian Callahan — their looming decision seems all the more crucial.

If for nothing else, Tennessee's younger talent needs an overarching, reliable vision to develop under; not only one put together by a competent coach, but specifically suited to the needs of long-term hopefuls like rookie quarterback Cam Ward and his cast of fellow first-year receivers.

As the 2025-26 season comes to a close, the rumor mill is churning faster than ever. It may not be long at all before a new identity takes hold of the Titans' franchise. A report from CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones lists five expected candidates for the Titans' vacancy behind the wheel, though much more exists within the process than the circled names.

Looking for a Leader

Regarding what the franchise is looking for in a new leader, Jones said, "previous experience is going to be a plus after Tennessee fired Brian Callahan," alluding to Callahan's inexperience at the position prior to being handed the Titans' keys. Though, all the same, a young coach can't be necessarily counted out, either.

"If a young coach has veteran coaches on his staff, for example, that would be a boost," Jones explained.

Titans expected HC candidates, per @jjones9:

Mike McCarthy
Chiefs OC Matt Nagy
Packers DC Jeff Hafley
Rams DC Chris Shula
Chargers DC Jesse Minter pic.twitter.com/UIAPgsYowd
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) December 27, 2025

The meat and potatoes of the news, though, indeed comes down to the aforementioned five names. As Jones notes, "I would anticipate Chiefs OC Matt Nagy and former Packers and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy to get long looks in Tennessee based off their relationships with Titans GM Mike Borgonzi (Nagy) and president of football operations Chad Brinker (McCarthy)."

"Defensive coordinators like Jeff Hafley (Packers), Chris Shula (Rams) and Jesse Minter (Chargers) have been expected to get interview slips as well, according to sources."

Moving Quickly

Lastly, Jones finished with a blurb about the Titans' time frame regarding their search, "I won't be surprised to see this process move quickly in Tennessee considering all the lead time the Titans have had to prepare."

Of the names on the list above, they all generally read like competent selections in a sea of high-risk, high-reward hires. All of them, that is, but Matt Nagy. So long as Tennessee doesn't make that dreaded call, the franchise should manage to escape this rebuild with new life.

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