Bill Callahan (football coach)
Encyclopedia
William E. Callahan is the Assistant Head Coach (for the Offensive Line) for the New York Jets
. He was formerly the head coach of the Oakland Raiders
for the 2002-2003 seasons and for the University of Nebraska
for the 2004-2007 seasons.
in Lisle, Illinois
, where he was an NAIA
honorable mention All-American in his final two seasons.
before being promoted to full time assistant in 1981, coaching tight ends, offensive line, quarterbacks and special teams through 1986.
Callahan served a two-year stint, 1987–1988, as offensive line coach at Northern Arizona University
and one year as offensive coordinator of Southern Illinois in 1989. From 1990-1994, Callahan was offensive line coach at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
. He has been praised by former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez
as being one of the primary reasons why the Badgers were able to turn their program around and eventually win three Rose Bowls in the 1990s. Alvarez cited Callahan specifically for his strong recruiting abilities.
from 1995 to 1997. He then spent four seasons as the Oakland Raiders
offensive coordinator before being named the franchise's 13th head coach prior to the 2002 season. Callahan was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders
of the NFL
during the 2002 and 2003 seasons.
and a berth in Super Bowl
XXXVII
in his first season as a head coach, making him just the fourth rookie head coach in NFL history to do so. The Raiders suffered a lopsided defeat, losing 48-21 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
coached by his former boss Jon Gruden
. The Raiders finished with a 13-6 record in Callahan's first season.
Callahan is the third Raiders head coach to win an AFC West title and lead his team into the conference championship game in his first full season. Only Art Shell
(1990) and John Madden (1969) had accomplished this feat.
Under Callahan's guidance, the Raiders led the NFL in passing for the first time in team history and led the league in total offense for just the second time in team history.
During his tenure as not only head coach but also offensive coordinator for the Raiders, the Raider offense led the league in rushing in 2000 and led the league in passing in 2002. In 2002, the Raiders became the first team to win games in the same season while rushing at least 60 times (against Kansas City in a 24-0 win) and passing at least 60 times (against Pittsburgh in a 30-17 win). The Raider offense also set many franchise records during this period, including fewest sacks allowed (28) in 2000, a mark that was broken the following year (27).
Despite the success of his 2002 team, the 2003 Raiders had a losing record. After his team got off to a 2-5 start, many of his players, in particular Charles Woodson
, publicly demonized the coach, even suggesting that Callahan was deliberately trying to sabotage the season. Apparently, his accusations of strife and mutiny within the clubhouse were corroborated by others, including veteran receiver Tim Brown. Callahan, his supporters claim, had recognized that the team was aging and needed younger talent. To get it, he would have to cut existing salaries, an assertion that did not sit well with many of the team's veterans. On Nov. 30, after a 22-8 loss to the Denver Broncos, Callahan said the Raiders must have been "the dumbest team in America in terms of playing the game." After a lackluster 4-12 season, due to the injury to quarterback Rich Gannon and despite having led the Raiders to a Super Bowl a year earlier, Callahan was fired by Raiders owner Al Davis. Callahan was also the last Raider coach to have posted a winning season.
in 1962) that the Cornhuskers would be led by a head coach with no direct ties to the university either as a player or an assistant coach.
In his first season at Nebraska (2004
), Callahan finished 5-6, giving the Cornhuskers their first losing season in more than 40 years. He had introduced the West Coast offense
to a program that had traditionally relied on a strong option
running attack.
The Cornhuskers finished 8-4 during his second season and won the 2005 Alamo Bowl
by defeating No. 20 Michigan
, 32-28. The 7-4 Wolverines were the highest-ranked opponent that Nebraska had defeated since a 20-10 win over No. 2 Oklahoma in October 2001. The Wolverines also were the highest-ranked opponent defeated by Nebraska away from home since a 66-17 win over Northwestern in the 2000 Alamo Bowl
.
The 2006 team
finished 9-5 and won the Big 12 North for the first time since 1999. The win over then No. 24-ranked Texas A&M
marked Nebraska's first ever road win over a ranked Big 12 South team.
Many expected that the 2007 season would be a breakthrough year for Nebraska. However, the team fell well short of expectations. Nebraska was beaten by USC
49-31 in a nationally-televised September 15 game, being outrushed by a 313 to 31 margin but outgaining USC in the passing game 389 to 144. A 41-6 thumping by Missouri
started a five-game losing streak--the Huskers' first since 1958. On October 15, 2007, Steve Pederson
, the athletic director who had hired Callahan, was fired. Pederson was replaced on an interim basis by Nebraska's legendary former head coach, Tom Osborne.
On November 3, the Cornhuskers suffered a 76-39 pounding at the hands of Kansas
. It was the most points a Cornhusker team had ever surrendered at the time. The Huskers followed this performance a week later with a win, scoring 73 points against Kansas State
.
On November 24, 2007, a day after a 65-51 loss to rival Colorado, Callahan arrived at the team's practice facility at 6:30 a.m. He met briefly with Osborne and was fired. As he left the complex, he waved to reporters gathered outside. Osborne announced during a press conference held at the school that despite Callahan's ouster, he would still earn $3.1 million as part of his buyout.
While Nebraska's defense struggled during Callahan's tenure, numerous offensive school records were set (some of which could be attributed to the dramatic change in offensive philosophy) and QB
Zac Taylor
was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year for 2006. Callahan's tenure as Nebraska's head coach was primarily defined by an emphasis on recruiting (something many Nebraska fans felt was lacking during the previous coach's tenure ). For example, with the assistance of his recruiting coordinator John Blake, Nebraska recruited DT Ndamukong Suh
(2009 AP Player of the Year, Nagurski Trophy winner, Heisman Trophy
finalist, etc.) although Suh later stated that he would "probably be at Oregon State right now" had Callahan not been fired . Callahan's 2005 recruiting class was rated as top-five by Rivals and ESPN analyst Tom Lemming said they were "No. 1, without a doubt." .
Despite a 27-22 record, Callahan's tenure is generally considered a failure. He led the Cornhuskers to two losing seasons in four years. He also finished ranked in a major poll only once in four years after the Huskers had only finished unranked once since 1962. He was 1-10 against teams ranked in the Top 25, 27-2 in games in which he led at halftime, 0-17 in games in which he trailed at halftime, 25-21 against Division I opponents, 15-18 against the Big 12, and coached the program to two of its four non-winning seasons in 46 years. Sports Illustrated recently named Callahan as the worst coaching hire of the decade in college football. Exacerbating Cornhusker fans' consternation with Bill Callahan's tenure at the University was his insistence that he had "done an excellent job in every area."
.
On January 2, 2009 Callahan interviewed for the Head Coach of the New York Jets
.
In 2008, three of the offensive linemen (with Bill Callahan as their position coach) from the Jets were named to the Pro Bowl-center Nick Mangold, guard Alan Faneca and tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. All three repeated in 2009. Under Callahan's direction of the running game the Jets broke the franchise record in 2009 gaining 2756 yards on the ground through 16 regular season games. They led the National Football League in rushing and averaged 4.5 yard per attempt.
For the 2009 season, Peter King
named Callahan the assistant coach of the year.
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was formerly the head coach of the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for the 2002-2003 seasons and for the University of Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
for the 2004-2007 seasons.
College career
Callahan was a four-year starter at quarterback at Illinois Benedictine CollegeBenedictine University
Benedictine University is a private Catholic university located in Lisle, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The institution has retained close relations with the Benedictine Order. Originally named St. Procopius College and located in the Pilsen community of Chicago, the school was founded in 1887 by...
in Lisle, Illinois
Lisle, Illinois
Lisle is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 22,930 at the 2011 census, and estimated to be 23,135 as of 2008. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor...
, where he was an NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
honorable mention All-American in his final two seasons.
Early coaching career
The Chicago native began his college coaching career in 1980 as a graduate assistant at University of IllinoisUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
before being promoted to full time assistant in 1981, coaching tight ends, offensive line, quarterbacks and special teams through 1986.
Callahan served a two-year stint, 1987–1988, as offensive line coach at Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
and one year as offensive coordinator of Southern Illinois in 1989. From 1990-1994, Callahan was offensive line coach at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. He has been praised by former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez
Barry Alvarez
Barry Alvarez is a former American football player and coach and currently the Director of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as the head football coach at Wisconsin for 16 seasons from 1990 to 2005, compiling a career college football record of 118–73–4...
as being one of the primary reasons why the Badgers were able to turn their program around and eventually win three Rose Bowls in the 1990s. Alvarez cited Callahan specifically for his strong recruiting abilities.
Coaching career
Callahan started his NFL career as the offensive line coach for the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1995 to 1997. He then spent four seasons as the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
offensive coordinator before being named the franchise's 13th head coach prior to the 2002 season. Callahan was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
during the 2002 and 2003 seasons.
Oakland Raiders
Callahan led the Raiders to the 2002 AFC Championship GameAFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
and a berth in Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
in his first season as a head coach, making him just the fourth rookie head coach in NFL history to do so. The Raiders suffered a lopsided defeat, losing 48-21 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
coached by his former boss Jon Gruden
Jon Gruden
Jon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
. The Raiders finished with a 13-6 record in Callahan's first season.
Callahan is the third Raiders head coach to win an AFC West title and lead his team into the conference championship game in his first full season. Only Art Shell
Art Shell
Arthur "Art" Shell is an American former collegiate and professional football player in the American Football League and later in the NFL, a Hall of Fame offensive tackle, and a two-time former head coach of the Oakland Raiders...
(1990) and John Madden (1969) had accomplished this feat.
Under Callahan's guidance, the Raiders led the NFL in passing for the first time in team history and led the league in total offense for just the second time in team history.
During his tenure as not only head coach but also offensive coordinator for the Raiders, the Raider offense led the league in rushing in 2000 and led the league in passing in 2002. In 2002, the Raiders became the first team to win games in the same season while rushing at least 60 times (against Kansas City in a 24-0 win) and passing at least 60 times (against Pittsburgh in a 30-17 win). The Raider offense also set many franchise records during this period, including fewest sacks allowed (28) in 2000, a mark that was broken the following year (27).
Despite the success of his 2002 team, the 2003 Raiders had a losing record. After his team got off to a 2-5 start, many of his players, in particular Charles Woodson
Charles Woodson
Charles C. Woodson is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Michigan for the Michigan Wolverines. In 1997, Woodson led the Wolverines to a national championship...
, publicly demonized the coach, even suggesting that Callahan was deliberately trying to sabotage the season. Apparently, his accusations of strife and mutiny within the clubhouse were corroborated by others, including veteran receiver Tim Brown. Callahan, his supporters claim, had recognized that the team was aging and needed younger talent. To get it, he would have to cut existing salaries, an assertion that did not sit well with many of the team's veterans. On Nov. 30, after a 22-8 loss to the Denver Broncos, Callahan said the Raiders must have been "the dumbest team in America in terms of playing the game." After a lackluster 4-12 season, due to the injury to quarterback Rich Gannon and despite having led the Raiders to a Super Bowl a year earlier, Callahan was fired by Raiders owner Al Davis. Callahan was also the last Raider coach to have posted a winning season.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Soon after being fired by the Raiders, Callahan was hired at Nebraska. This would mark the first time in over four decades (since the hiring of Bob DevaneyBob Devaney
Robert S. "Bob" Devaney was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Wyoming from 1957 to 1961 and at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln from 1962 to 1972, compiling a career college football record of 136–30–7...
in 1962) that the Cornhuskers would be led by a head coach with no direct ties to the university either as a player or an assistant coach.
In his first season at Nebraska (2004
2004 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 2004 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Bill Callahan and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:...
), Callahan finished 5-6, giving the Cornhuskers their first losing season in more than 40 years. He had introduced the West Coast offense
West Coast offense
In American football, "West Coast Offense" refers to two similar but distinct offensive-strategic-systems of play: the "Air Coryell" system; or more commonly the pass play system popularized by Bill Walsh...
to a program that had traditionally relied on a strong option
Option offense
The option offense is a generic term that is used to describe a wide variety of offensive systems in American football. Option offenses are characterized as such due to the predominance of option running plays employed in these schemes. Option offenses have traditionally relied heavily upon running...
running attack.
The Cornhuskers finished 8-4 during his second season and won the 2005 Alamo Bowl
2005 Alamo Bowl
The 2005 Alamo Bowl was a college football bowl game held on December 28, 2005 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It was the 13th Alamo Bowl. The Nebraska Cornhuskers, second place finishers in the Big 12 Conference's North Division, defeated the Michigan Wolverines, third placed finishers...
by defeating No. 20 Michigan
2005 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2005 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2005 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. That year Michigan Wolverines football competed in the Big Ten Conference in...
, 32-28. The 7-4 Wolverines were the highest-ranked opponent that Nebraska had defeated since a 20-10 win over No. 2 Oklahoma in October 2001. The Wolverines also were the highest-ranked opponent defeated by Nebraska away from home since a 66-17 win over Northwestern in the 2000 Alamo Bowl
2000 Alamo Bowl
The 2000 edition to the Alamo Bowl featured the , and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Despite both teams being ranked, it was the biggest blowout in the game's history...
.
The 2006 team
2006 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 2006 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Bill Callahan and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska....
finished 9-5 and won the Big 12 North for the first time since 1999. The win over then No. 24-ranked Texas A&M
2006 Texas A&M Aggies football team
The 2006 Texas A&M Aggies football team completed the season with a 9-4 record. The Aggies had a regular season Big 12 record of 5-3.-Schedule:-Roster:-The Citadel:-Louisiana-Lafayette:-Army:-Louisiana Tech:...
marked Nebraska's first ever road win over a ranked Big 12 South team.
Many expected that the 2007 season would be a breakthrough year for Nebraska. However, the team fell well short of expectations. Nebraska was beaten by USC
2007 USC Trojans football team
The 2007 University of Southern California Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California during the college football season of 2007–2008, winning a share of the Pacific-10 Conference Championship and winning the 2008 Rose Bowl...
49-31 in a nationally-televised September 15 game, being outrushed by a 313 to 31 margin but outgaining USC in the passing game 389 to 144. A 41-6 thumping by Missouri
2007 Missouri Tigers football team
The 2007 Missouri Tigers football team represented the University of Missouri in college football's 2007 season. The team was coached by Gary Pinkel and played their home games at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium....
started a five-game losing streak--the Huskers' first since 1958. On October 15, 2007, Steve Pederson
Steve Pederson
Steve Pederson is the athletic director at the University of Pittsburgh. He held the same post there from 1996 to 2002 and at the University of Nebraska from 2002 to 2007.-First Pittsburgh tenure:...
, the athletic director who had hired Callahan, was fired. Pederson was replaced on an interim basis by Nebraska's legendary former head coach, Tom Osborne.
On November 3, the Cornhuskers suffered a 76-39 pounding at the hands of Kansas
2007 Kansas Jayhawks football team
The 2007 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas for the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision intercollegiate football season of 2007-2008...
. It was the most points a Cornhusker team had ever surrendered at the time. The Huskers followed this performance a week later with a win, scoring 73 points against Kansas State
2007 Kansas State Wildcats football team
The 2007 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the college football season of 2007. The team's head football coach was Ron Prince. The Wildcats played their home games in Bill Snyder Family Stadium...
.
On November 24, 2007, a day after a 65-51 loss to rival Colorado, Callahan arrived at the team's practice facility at 6:30 a.m. He met briefly with Osborne and was fired. As he left the complex, he waved to reporters gathered outside. Osborne announced during a press conference held at the school that despite Callahan's ouster, he would still earn $3.1 million as part of his buyout.
While Nebraska's defense struggled during Callahan's tenure, numerous offensive school records were set (some of which could be attributed to the dramatic change in offensive philosophy) and QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Zac Taylor
Zac Taylor
Zac Taylor in an American football quarterback. From 2005 to 2006, he was the starting quarterback for Cornhuskers football team at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He was recruited late in the 2004-2005 off-season by the Huskers, being a described "lucky break" due to the Huskers lack of...
was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year for 2006. Callahan's tenure as Nebraska's head coach was primarily defined by an emphasis on recruiting (something many Nebraska fans felt was lacking during the previous coach's tenure ). For example, with the assistance of his recruiting coordinator John Blake, Nebraska recruited DT Ndamukong Suh
Ndamukong Suh
Ndamukong Suh is an American football defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions 2nd overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
(2009 AP Player of the Year, Nagurski Trophy winner, Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
finalist, etc.) although Suh later stated that he would "probably be at Oregon State right now" had Callahan not been fired . Callahan's 2005 recruiting class was rated as top-five by Rivals and ESPN analyst Tom Lemming said they were "No. 1, without a doubt." .
Despite a 27-22 record, Callahan's tenure is generally considered a failure. He led the Cornhuskers to two losing seasons in four years. He also finished ranked in a major poll only once in four years after the Huskers had only finished unranked once since 1962. He was 1-10 against teams ranked in the Top 25, 27-2 in games in which he led at halftime, 0-17 in games in which he trailed at halftime, 25-21 against Division I opponents, 15-18 against the Big 12, and coached the program to two of its four non-winning seasons in 46 years. Sports Illustrated recently named Callahan as the worst coaching hire of the decade in college football. Exacerbating Cornhusker fans' consternation with Bill Callahan's tenure at the University was his insistence that he had "done an excellent job in every area."
College head coaching record
New York Jets
On January 18, 2008 Callahan was hired as Assistant Head Coach of the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
On January 2, 2009 Callahan interviewed for the Head Coach of the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
In 2008, three of the offensive linemen (with Bill Callahan as their position coach) from the Jets were named to the Pro Bowl-center Nick Mangold, guard Alan Faneca and tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. All three repeated in 2009. Under Callahan's direction of the running game the Jets broke the franchise record in 2009 gaining 2756 yards on the ground through 16 regular season games. They led the National Football League in rushing and averaged 4.5 yard per attempt.
For the 2009 season, Peter King
Peter King (sportswriter)
Peter King is an American sportswriter. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated and its Web site, including the weekly multiple-page column Monday Morning Quarterback. He is the author of five books, most notably Inside the Helmet, as well as a TV analyst and reporter...
named Callahan the assistant coach of the year.