Nashville – Dennard Wilson, the newly hired defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, has only been on the job for two days, but he already knows that the rebuilding process begins with Jeffery Simmons. The Titans’ defensive lineman is a team leader, captain, and offensive disruptor. His resume includes two All-Pro and two Pro Bowl selections. Despite missing five games in 2023, Simmons finished his seventh NFL season with 5.5 sacks, 44 tackles (30 solo), one pass defense, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Wilson recognizes Simmons’ talent. “Well, clearly, I spoke with him the other day. He has a fantastic personality. “Outstanding young man,” Wilson stated. “But when you see him play, he’s a massive person. He is versatile. He can play the three-technique. He can play outside. He’s explosive. He has excellent hands. He has the ability to alter the game on his own.”
During Super Bowl week, Simmons stated that he wanted to be one of the players spearheading the effort to get teammates to buy into Wilson and head coach Brian Callahan’s vision for the Titans. “I am going to make sure I can keep the locker room tight, and make sure no matter what it might be, no matter the situation, of course, we just got a new head coach, I think it’s going to be simple: Buy in or you just have to get left behind,” he added. “For me, being a captain and a leader on this team, my job is to keep holding my end up on that.”
Wilson is excited about their collaboration: “Having players like that and putting them in positions to succeed, it’s a wonderful thing coming in here when you have a guy that plays at that level.”
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Son and Dad Form New Relationship as Titans Head Coaches and Assistants
Nashville — Brian Callahan says of his Tennessee Titans coaching staff, “I’m gonna lean on these people that I’ve hired to help me.” Perhaps none more so than his father. At a press conference Wednesday to announce the Titans’ offensive and defensive coordinators, Nick Holz and Dennard Wilson, Brian Callahan was asked about his most well-known assistant coach, his father Bill. In essence, how does the new dynamic of son as head coach and father as assistant work?
Brian Callahan stated, “It’s been really usual. He understands what it means to sit in the same chair every day. Having done it himself, he understands when advise is beneficial. He realizes when he should probably leave me alone. I know when to leave him alone on the other side.” There are also some memorable father-son moments.
“He has a 16-inch clincher, those softballs. He used to play with them as a kid and keeps one in his office. He came in here (Brian’s office) around 9 p.m., and we were just wrapping off some things. And I’m sitting there, throwing a softball back and forth as we discuss various possibilities for things.So having that expertise has been really wonderful, and he just wants to be able to assist me and this company win, which has been really exciting. So far, it’s been an extremely enjoyable experience for me.”
Additionally, Bill Callahan brings over 40 years of coaching experience to the Titans staff. “He has served as head coach in both college (Nebraska) and the NFL (Oakland Raiders). He has called plays in the NFL. He has long been regarded as the top offensive line coach in sports. “He has probably forgotten more football than I do,” Brian Callahan stated.
Brian Callahan explained that hiring his father was tricky because Bill was under contract with the Cleveland Browns. “It was a procedure that we had to go through with the Browns organization, and happily, they were quite — kind is not the right word. This is not a kind business. However, they were savvy enough to see the singularity of the circumstance. I appreciate their perspective and their willingness to enable it to happen.To be honest, I never saw myself working in this capacity. So, to be here with him is a truly amazing experience for me, both as a son and as a professional.”
