Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo both earned interviews for vacant head coaching jobs last year. There’s a strong possibility both will receive interviews again in a few weeks when the cycle starts again.
The Bengals have enjoyed tremendous success with Callahan and Anarumo in their respective roles over the last two seasons. Callahan and Anarumo have been with head coach Zac Taylor since he got to Cincinnati in 2019.
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In the middle of the Bengals’ playoff run last year, Callahan interviewed with the Denver Broncos for their head coaching job and Anarumo interviewed with the New York Giants for the same job.
Based on how the Bengals have played this season and the fact they both received interviews last year, it would be shocking if one or both don’t receive an interview for any of the vacant jobs that will open up after the season. Right now, there’s two jobs open: Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts. There will be a few more after the season as the league averages six to seven coaching changes per year.
There are several rules in the head coaching interview process mandated by the league. NFL teams cannot interview a head-coaching candidate who is employed by another NFL team until the third day after the conclusion of that team's Week 18 game. For coaches of teams in the playoffs, assistant coaches cannot be interviewed until the following Tuesday for Saturday and Sunday games or Wednesday for the Monday game. No in-person interviews are permitted with candidates who are employed by other teams until after all wild-card games have ended.
These rules were changed in hopes to create a more thorough interview process for all candidates. Often, coaches with teams in the playoffs are at a disadvantage because of their team’s success.
Why Brian Callahan is a good candidate for head coaching interviews
Let’s take a deeper look at why Callahan is likely to be a popular name when the head-coaching circuit begins this year:
Offensive coordinator Brian Callahan
Age: 38
Experience: 13 years in the NFL
The Bengals have been one of the hottest teams in the NFL in the last two seasons and a major reason for their success is because of their offensive success. Callahan works hand in hand with Taylor to create the Bengals’ game plan each week. As Callahan has gained more experience working with Taylor, he’s received more responsibility. Callahan sets the passing plays for the base downs. He meets with Taylor and they put together the cohesive passing plan together.
Then, Callahan is responsible for the protection plan each week. He presents it to the coaches and players. After he’s done with that, he moves on to the red zone. Callahan sets the red zone plan with help from wide receivers coach Troy Walters. And at the end of the week, he meets with Taylor to help script the opening plays, etc.
Callahan’s hands are all over the Bengals’ offense and they’ve experienced a lot of success recently under his leadership. Cincinnati ranks No. 3 in third down efficiency, No. 4 in passing yards per game, No. 7 in points per game and their touchdown percentage in the red zone is the fourth best in the NFL.
The Broncos requested to interview Callahan in mid-January 2022. While he prepared for the Bengals' AFC divisional round matchup with the Titans, he also interviewed for the job. It was a thorough four-hour interview over Zoom in which the Broncos brass asked him about every part of how he would run his program if he were the head coach.
Callahan felt prepared for the interview thanks to many conversations with his father, Bill Callahan, and Taylor. Bill Callahan, the Browns’ offensive line coach, has been in the NFL since 1998 and an assistant head coach twice in his career. He was also the interim head coach for the Washington Commanders in 2019.
Denver opted to hire former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett instead.
Where Callahan has an advantage over other coaches who might just serve as a position coach is that he has experience running an entire offense. The Bengals hired Taylor with no experience as an offensive coordinator in the NFL. Taylor was the quarterbacks coach of the Los Angeles Rams when Cincinnati hired him.
Callahan is in his fourth season with the Bengals as the offensive coordinator and although he doesn’t call the plays on gameday, his role is critical and will help him if he becomes a head coach.
“I’ve learned a lot in the role. You do oversee the offensive staff, the entire offense," Callahan said. "The players. You interact with all of the different players. Having to build relationships with the receivers, tight ends, the linemen. Then the administrative part of being a coordinator. How you manage the roster spots, the draft process. There’s a management part of being in the coordinator role that you don’t get that experience as a position coach. So, I think it’s benefited me tremendously to have those experiences for someday if I get a chance to become a head coach that I’ve got more manager-type experience than if you were just coaching a position.”
Some NFL owners want coaches with prior head-coaching experience. Some want a coordinator who calls plays. Some will hire whoever they want regardless of if they are a position coach or a college coach. It all just depends on what the owner is looking for.
NFL trend is to hire young offensive-minded coaches
Based on the last five years, the hot trend in the NFL right now when it comes to head coaches is hiring a young offensive coach who has experience working with quarterbacks.
Callahan checks that box.
Prior to his time in Cincinnati, Callahan was the quarterbacks coach in Denver where he worked with Peyton Manning and in Detroit with Matthew Stafford. Now, he’s working directly with Burrow, who is in the MVP race.
Callahan has never been an offensive line coach, per se, but he’s the son of one of the best offensive line coaches in the NFL. He knows the quarterback position and that’s obvious given his success in turning Cincinnati’s offensive line around this year.
Another reason Callahan will be an attractive candidate is his ability to relate to his players. That’s huge in the NFL right now. Gone are the days head coaches can be successful without being approachable. Look at how successful coaches like Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur, Kevin O’Connell and Taylor all run their programs.
They all operate in the same way of catering to players’ health, ensuring direct communication takes place and always leaving the door open for conversations.
Callahan does that, according to tight end Hayden Hurst, who is having the best season of his career with the Bengals.
“He’s up there watching film and scripting stuff up,” Hurst said. “He’s talking to guys asking, ‘What routes are you comfortable running against these looks?’ Just open dialogue, constant communication, and faith in his guys. A couple of weeks ago he came up to me and asked me what routes I liked in the red zone and then they pop up in the red zone plan. He takes guys' words and puts it into the plan.”
The Bengals are primed to make the playoffs for a second consecutive season and typically owners target coaches from the most successful programs in the NFL. Cincinnati is one.
And the Bengals have also played more primetime games this year than ever before allowing owners to see Cincinnati’s team more. Callahan’s name already was circled last year when Cincinnati made its Super Bowl 56 run. The Bengals’ offense is even better this year.
Callahan didn’t get plucked from Taylor’s staff last year. And it’s to be determined if he will this year, but it would be surprising at this point if it doesn’t happen soon.
Especially when he has players vouching for him like this.
“Absolutely,” Hurst said when asked if Callahan should get a shot to be a head coach. “Cally is an awesome guy. You’re starting to see more coaches like Zac and McVay. They are more approachable. They are more players' coaches. Cally is awesome. He’s a great guy. He absolutely deserves a shot.”
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