The Tennessee Titans will be searching for a new head coach this offseason. The front office decided to relieve Brian Callahan of his head coaching duties earlier this season after the former Bengals offensive coordinator put together a pathetic record of 4-19 since being hired in 2024.
One unexpected name that was brought up to potentially coach the Titans next year was Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian. Dianna Russini of The Athletic was the first to report this news, stating that Sarkisian was interested in a jump from the college ranks to the pros with the Titans being a spot of interest.
The latest in the Sarkisian to the NFL discussion heated up recently when former Heisman Trophy-winning wide receiver and College GameDay analyst Desmond Howard reignited the conversation on his Instagram by discussing how the Texas job could be opening up soon.
“Don’t be surprised if that Texas job opens up at the end of the season,” Howard said on Instagram. “You guys were shocked when LSU opened up. Imagine how you’re going to feel if that job in Austin pops open. I’m not calling or saying anyone’s going to get fired... Maybe a mutual parting of ways, you dig?”
Titans get thrown back into the Steve Sarkisian mix after new hint drops
From what Howard is hinting at, Sarkisian wouldn't be fired by Texas, but he could be more serious than ever about a move to the NFL. Considering the Titans were linked to him once before, maybe this is a sign that things could be trending that way for 2026.
This wouldn't necessarily be a bad move from the Titans brass. After all, Sarkisian has helped lead the Longhorns back to national relevance after they had been pretty up and down over the years. While they haven't won a National Championship under Sark, they came pretty close this past season, losing to the eventual National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes in the semifinals.
Sarkisian is also an offensive-minded guy and while some Titans fans might be scared to go that route again after how much of a colossal failure Callahan was, they're going to need someone with offensive wisdom that can help mold Cam Ward into a franchise quarterback. Sarkisian worked his magic on Quinn Ewers and, while Arch Manning has had a disappointing season, it's his first full year as a starter. Bumps in the road are to be expected.
The fact of the matter is that if Sarkisian is ready to make the leap to the NFL, the Titans could certainly use him. Could this whole thing end up with Steve Sarkisian in Nashville as the next head coach of the Tennessee Titans or is it all just a smokescreen? We'll have to wait and see.