The Tennessee Titans are one of the many teams that are in search of a new head coach after firing Brian Callahan in the middle of the season. The Titans spent the first week of their search interviewing seven candidates, but it doesn't seem like they are close to being done.
Mike Garafolo reported that former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh “likes what he sees in the Titans” and that is very encouraging for Titans fans considering the success Harbaugh had in Baltimore. Tom Pelissero also reported that former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel will interview for the Titans’ open vacancy.
A name that was reported by Ian Rapoport as to who will be speaking to the Titans is Jonathan Gannon, who was the Arizona Cardinals’ head coach from 2023-2024. While Gannon showed some promise as a head coach and was dealt a bad hand in Arizona, the Titans should avoid trusting him as the next head coach of the franchise.
Former #AZCardinals coach Jonathan Gannon had a busy week ahead. Sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo that his interview schedule is as follows:
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 12, 2026
— #Cowboys for DC tomorrow.
— #Commanders for DC Thursday.
— #Titans for HC Sunday. pic.twitter.com/mEeaqesHsF
Titans must avoid hiring Jonathan Gannon as next head coach
There are some coaches in this league that are better off as coordinators than head coaches, and that’s completely okay. Not everyone can be a great, or even a good head coach. There is a lot of responsibility that goes into it and unless you have a proven track record of improving something big in an organization, then maybe being head coach is not the job for you.
In Arizona, Gannon had some challenges to overcome and while he showed some signs of being a decent head coach, he never really made the Cardinals a true threat in the NFC let alone the NFL.
In his first season with missing Kyler Murray for over half the season, the Cardinals finished 4-13. That was kind of expected considering the situation at quarterback. In 2024, the Cardinals finished 8-9 which was a big improvement, but they still only finished 3rd in the division.
This past season, the Cardinals went back to 4th place in the NFC West and they finished with a point differential of -133, their highest since 2018 where they had -200.
Arizona’s defense was never scary under his control, which is concerning because of the fact he is a defensive-minded coach.
The Titans have other options that are a better fit for what they are trying to build and Gannon isn’t one of them. While it never hurts to have a conversation, the Titans need to go in a different route if they really want to not just improve the team, but also help Cam Ward grow as a franchise quarterback.