Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan found his offensive coordinator when the team hired former Jacksonville Jaguars passing-game coordinator, Nick Holz.
One of the first things that jumps out at you with Holz is his light resume. He was the Jags’ passing-game coordinator for just one season, and prior to that the he was UNLV’s offensive coordinator.
Before his brief stint with the Runnin’ Rebels, Holz spent 10 seasons with the Raiders, where his most notable position was assistant wide receivers coach. However, the fact he survived multiple coaching changes suggests he’s a good coach.
While his lack of experience is a concern, that is countered by the fact that he won’t be calling plays. Instead, Holz will be responsible for implementing the offense, as well as helping with weekly game-planning and the development of quarterback Will Levis in general.
He may also be in the ear of Callahan on gamedays to offer input, much like Callahan was with Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor.
Jaguars tight end Evan Engram recently praised Holz for his work in Duval, which helped Jacksonville improve from the No. 10 passing attack in 2022 to the No. 9 unit in 2023.
Engram noted that Holz was good with players and is able to take charge. He also discussed what Holz’s role was and called him a “great offensive mind.”
“He’s great with the guys. He had a lot of meetings with us, a lot of gameplan stuff,” Engram said, per Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. “He’d talk about what he sees; he takes charge of the room. And he knows what he’s doing. He’s a great offensive mind, and whatever his role is, he is definitely going to succeed at it. I know he’s going to do a lot of great work in Tennessee.”
Another plus for Holz is the fact that he has experience in different systems. That makes him an excellent sounding board for Callahan and staff to bounce ideas off of, and for his role with giving input in the offense.
“I think the biggest thing with Nick is taking us in year one to year two, in Nick’s experience with different systems during his time with the Raiders,” Jags offensive coordinator Press Taylor said in 2023, per Demetrius Harvey of Jacksonville.com. “He’s been with a lot of different guys whether it be Coach Gruden [former Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden], Coach Olson [former Raiders Offensive Coordinator Greg Olson], a bunch of different people that we think bring different ideas and experiences to us.
“Whether it be spread systems, west coast systems, no-huddle stuff. His experience and then the way he meshes with our coaching staff having known a couple of guys throughout, I think it will just continue to elevate us from year one to year two like we’ve been talking about.”
While you’d typically want a more robust resume for an OC, it’s clear Holz checks all the boxes needed for the type of OC role he’ll have in Nashville. This hire certainly isn’t as exciting as some of the others Callahan has made, but it’s solid nonetheless based on what Tennessee needs.
Grade: B
