NASHVILLE – February 20, 2024 – Titans head coach Brian Callahan has added three more assistants to his coaching staff, including hiring Colt Anderson as the team’s new special teams coordinator.
Earlier, the Titans named Dennard Wilson the team’s defensive coordinator, and Nick Holz the team’s offensive coordinator.
Anderson just completed his fourth season with the Bengals, where he served as an assistant special teams coach on the same staff as Callahan.
The Titans have also hired Scott Fuchs as assistant offensive line coach and Steve Donatell as a defensive assistant.
Anderson, a core special teamer during his nine-year (2009-17) NFL playing career, served alongside assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons with the Bengals.
The 2023 Bengals special teams units ranked in the NFL’s top 10 in several categories: 10th in punt return average (10.2 yards per return), eighth in opponent punt return average (7.0 yards per return), second in opponent kickoff return average (17.0) and fifth in opponent net punting average (40.2 yards per punt).
Additionally, the 2023 Bengals relied on a core of young special team standouts for significant contributions. Fourth-round pick Charlie Jones was eighth among all qualifiers and second among qualifying rookies with a 10.8-yard punt return average. Sixth-round punter Brad Robbins appeared in all 17 games and placed second among rookies with a 40.3-yard net average. Meanwhile, third-year kicker Evan McPherson made 26 of 31 field goals and all 40 extra point attempts.
Over his nine seasons as an NFL player, Anderson, who played in college at Montana, spent time with the Vikings, Eagles, Colts and Bills. He played in 84 career games (seven starts), and recorded 109 tackles, one INT and two FFs on defense, along with 58 tackles on special teams.
Fuchs, who will assist veteran offensive line coach Bill Callahan, has 31 years of experience coaching in college, including the past three seasons at Kansas.
At Kansas, Fuchs coached seven All-Big 12 selections. In 2023, the KU offensive line paved the way for the fourth-best rushing offense in the conference as the Jayhawks ran for a league-leading 31 touchdowns.
Prior to joining the Jayhawks staff, Fuchs spent two years (2019-20) at Buffalo. Under Fuchs, the Bulls were semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award, given annually to the best offensive line unit in the nation.
Fuchs spent five seasons (2014-18) at Wyoming after coaching offensive line at his alma mater, North Dakota State, from 2009-13. He helped the Bison to a 43-2 record and three national titles between 2011 and 2013.
Steve Donatell joins the Titans after spending last season as a defensive assistant with the Miami Dolphins.
Donatell was part of a defensive staff that helped the Dolphins finish the season with a takeaway in 12 consecutive games, including their postseason contest. No other team had an active streak longer than four games at the end of Wild Card weekend.
Donatell previously served as a defensive quality control assistant with the Vikings, and prior to that he served as the defensive quality control analyst for Stanford University.
Prior to his time at Stanford, Donatell was an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he was in charge of the outside linebackers. In his only season in Chattanooga, the Mocs boasted the top defense in the Southern Conference.
Donatell began his collegiate career as a linebacker at Wake Forest, before spending a season as a graduate transfer tight end at Western Kentucky. His father is long-time NFL coach Ed Donatell, who has coached in the league since 1990.
The Titans still need to hire a new head strength and conditioning coach on Callahan’s staff.
Source: TennesseeTitans.com
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