The Tennessee Titans hired Robert Saleh as their head coach after Brian Callahan’s disastrous tenure ended. Saleh is a fine hire. His New York Jets struggles came down to not having any semblance of an offense, and his defenses, both there and with the San Francisco 49ers, have been much better because of him.
Tennessee took care of one side of the ball with that hire. However, they did very little for their offense, which was arguably the most important side of the ball. They drafted Cam Ward first overall in 2025, but they didn’t pair him with an offensive-minded head coach to maximize his abilities.
They could still get someone interesting to be their offensive coordinator, which is what they did. In hiring Brian Daboll to guide Ward through the next few years, the Titans have managed to completely ace the coaching staff in two fantastic moves.
Brian Daboll lands with Tennessee Titans
Brian Daboll had head coach interviews this offseason, but despite the immense number of vacancies, he’s not going to be a head coach again. He was the offensive coordinator who helped shape Josh Allen from a talented but really mediocre QB into an MVP before getting the New York Giants job.
Now, he’s being tasked with molding Ward, a talented but ultimately somewhat mediocre (which is not really his fault, given the circumstances he was drafted into) quarterback, into an MVP. He’ll work his magic on Ward after failing to truly do so with Daniel Jones in New York.
Daboll’s skills as an offensive coach should not be downplayed. Jones might’ve enjoyed a solid year last year, but he was pretty bad before then. Daboll made the playoffs with him, which was an overall really impressive coaching job.
Fortunately for the Titans, he does exactly what Ward likes to do. In college, Miami phenom Ward rose to the top of draft boards thanks to a proficiency with RPOs. The Giants’ offense, under Daboll and interim Mike Kafka, ran RPOs on 12.6% of their offensive plays. That’s fourth-most in the NFL.
Daboll also has a pretty good track record with QBs. He has worked with Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Josh Allen, and, most recently, Jaxson Dart. He also coached Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa in 2017, when he was an assistant with Alabama.
Reason for hope
Cam Ward showed flashes, and many believe he could be something special if the Titans can help him. They averaged 16.7 points per game, and Ward threw just 15 touchdown passes all season. The lack of pass-catchers and the coaching disarray certainly didn’t help the rookie.
But with Brian Daboll, a proven QB whisperer and talented offensive mind, coaching him up, he should improve a ton in year two. If the Titans can also use some of their draft capital, which includes the fourth overall pick, on some weapons, then Ward should make a huge leap.
Plus, with Saleh coaching the defense, that unit, which still does have some talent in the form of Jeffrey Simmons and others, should be much improved at all. They are still operating at a talent deficit, but this team’s coaching should help them get a whole lot better in 2026.
The Titans should probably be investing heavily at wide receiver. Calvin Ridley was hurt a ton in 2025, and behind him, there was very little. They could use the fourth pick on Jordyn Tyson or Carnell Tate. They could also target KC Concepcion, Chris Bell, or others in rounds two or three to help Ward out.
Regardless, the Titans won’t be a laughingstock for much longer. They absolutely nailed the head coach and offensive coordinator combination, and they should improve greatly on all fronts.
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