Colts' 2023 Head Coach Candidate: Brian Callahan

The Indianapolis Colts need a new head coach for the 2023 season. Could a fresh face in Brian Callahan be the man for the job?

The Indianapolis Colts enter the 2023 NFL offseason in need of a new head coach. Former Head Coach Frank Reich did an admirable job in his 4.5 years with the team, leading the Colts to a 40-33-1 record despite having to work with a new starting quarterback every season.

Ultimately, it came time to move on from Reich as the team stagnated and hit a wall under the him in recent seasons. While the Colts may not be the greatest destination across the league, they should be able to generate a decent amount of interest for one of the 32 most coveted positions in the sport.

In this series, I will dive into a handful of the coaching candidates that the Colts could/should interview during their search and break down their background/qualifications for the job. Next up, is Cincinnati Bengals' Offensive Coordinator Brian Callahan.

Background in the Football

Callahan never played football at a high level, but he does have ties to the sport in other ways. His dad, Bill Callahan, is a famed offensive line coach that has had plenty of success in that role in the NFL. His dad is currently the offensive line coach of the Cleveland Browns.

Coaching Qualifications

Brian Callahan got his start as a grad assistant at his alma mater, UCLA. He worked there for a couple of seasons before making the jump to the NFL. His first experience in the league came with the Denver Broncos back in 2010, where he served as a coaching assistant. He worked under then-Head Coach Josh McDaniels (who was fired after 12 games).

John Fox was hired as the Broncos' next head coach in 2011, and he opted to keep Callahan on as an offensive quality control coach. He served in that role for two seasons before being promoted to offensive assistant in 2013. Gary Kubiak took over as head coach in 2015, and he also elected to keep Callahan on as an offensive assistant (Callahan would win a Super Bowl with this Broncos' team).

Callahan would leave the Broncos following the season, as he went to work as the QB coach in Detroit under Jim Caldwell. He served in that role for two seasons before Caldwell was fired following in 2017. Callahan made one more stop as a QB coach, as he served as the Las Vegas Raiders' QB coach under Jon Gruden in 2018. 

After a successful season in 2018, Callahan was hired as the Cincinnati Bengals' offensive coordinator in 2019. His stint with the team started out a bit slow, but it really picked up over the past two seasons with the breakout play from QB Joe Burrow and WR Ja'Marr Chase.

Here is how Callahan's offenses have ranked in his time as the OC for the Bengals (points per game/yards per game):

2019: 30th/26th

2020: 29th/29th

2021: 7th/13th

2022: 6th/8th

Callahan's Bengals appeared in the 2022 Super Bowl, where they fell just short to the Los Angeles Rams.

Super Bowl champion assistant ✅
Trusted sounding board for Peyton Manning ✅
Key voice in high-powered Cincinnati offense ✅

Meet #Bengals OC Brian Callahan: pic.twitter.com/xiTETEbp3o

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 8, 2022

Potential Staff Connections

Callahan has been coaching around the NFL since 2010, so his connections are fairly thin compared to other candidates in this series. Still, here are a few that could make sense for him. The * marks coaches that he'd likely look to bring with him as coordinators.

Offensive Coordinator

Eric Studesville*, Miami Dolphins Running Backs Coach: Denver Broncos RB coach and Offensive Coordinator from 2010-2016.

Jim Bob Cooter, Jacksonville Jaguars Passing Game Coordinator: Offensive quality control coach for the Denver Broncos in 2013.

Jim Caldwell, Detroit Lions Former Head Coach: Head coach of the Detroit Lions from 2014-2017.

Jemal Singleton*, Philadelphia Eagles RB Coach/Assistant Head Coach: RB coach with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2018 and with the Bengals from 2019-2020.

Dan Pitcher*, Cincinnati Bengals QB Coach: Bengals assistant coach since 2016.

Defensive Coordinator

Ed Donatell, Minnesota Vikings Former Defensive Coordinator: Safeties coach for the Denver Broncos from 2009-2010.

Jay Rodgers*, Los Angeles Chargers Run Game Coordinator: DL coach with the Denver Broncos from 2011-2014.

Cory Undlin, San Francisco 49ers Passing Game Coordinator: DB coach with the Denver Broncos from 2012-2014.

Joe Woods, Cleveland Browns Former Defensive Coordinator: DB coach with the Denver Broncos in 2015.

Kris Kocurek*, San Francisco 49ers Defensive Line Coach: DL coach with the Detroit Lions from 2010-2017.

James Bettcher*, Cincinnati Bengals LB Coach: Served in this role for the 2022 season.

The Bottom Line

Brian Callahan is a young, innovative offensive mind that has been able to get the most out of the Bengals' offense. With the Colts likely to draft a rookie quarterback with a top five in this upcoming class, Callahan is well equipped develop the next young passer in Indy.

Callahan may be the least impressive of the big three offensive coaching names (Shane Steichen and Mike Kafka being the other two) but he would be a strong hire for this Indy team.

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