Cam Ward on Brian Daboll as new Titans OC: 'He is going to get on my ass'

Cam Ward is excited for the new Tennessee Titans regime and that includes offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. Daboll, the former New York Giants head coach, was also the OC for the Buffalo Bills prior to his New York stint and coached up Josh Allen.

Daboll joins a new Titans staff led by head coach Robert Saleh, who gets his second crack at a head coaching gig following a return to San Francisco as the 49ers’ DC this past season. Now, he gets to work with Ward, last year’s No. 1 overall pick.

Ward showed flashes as a rookie, despite a lot of overall organizational struggles in Nashville this past season. Still, Ward needed that fire underneath him from someone other than himself.

“I like that he is a fiery coach,” Ward said of Daboll, via the team’s website. “He is going to get on my ass when he needs to, and he is going to hold me to a high standard. And that’s the standard I want to be held to.”

In 17 games this year, Ward went 3-14 as a starter. But he put up decent numbers as a rookie: 3,169 yards, 15 touchdowns, seven interceptions, a 59.8% completion percentage, 159 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

“I don’t need it, but I want it,” Ward said of tough coaching. “And it’s not for my sake, because I know what I want to be – I don’t need a coach to pat me on the back or cuss me out. I want a coach like coach Daboll who is going to be the same each and every day. He is going to let me know the real, and I just have to respond.”

Ward has a prior relationship with Daboll, having spoken to him throughout the draft process last year. The Giants, under Daboll, ended up drafting Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart later in the first round.

“I had a good interview process with him throughout the draft season last year, and I think he’s going to do a lot of things to compliment me. I think he is going to put me and the team in the best situation,” Ward said. 

“He is a coach who is well respected, and someone like me wants to play for a guy like that. I am for sure going to have his back, and he is going to have mine. I am excited to learn from him. … Having a coach like Daboll, who is going to listen to me, and give me feedback from the film room to the field and put his game plan in each and every week. That is why I am excited to be heard by him, and it is going to get some wins for us.”