Interesting Article…247

Russ Callaway, Coach O and why he left.
Brian
Brian
Founding Member
So I posted on the Geaux247 boards about Russ Callaway. Afterwards I was surprised when Shea Dixon responded to me and what news he revealed. A lot of us were big Russ for OC fans, here's my post and I'll share Shea's reply only because some jerk already put it on TigerDroppings and Shea said he's discussed it on the radio before so it's alright.

My post:

I wanted Russ Callaway promoted.

He knew the spread. He had already been in the building and knew all of our talent and their strengths and weaknesses. Russ also clearly had a great relationship and rapport with Max.

Peyton Manning: "The quickest way to screw up a young quarterback in my opinion is giving him no continuity, no stability. Keep changing systems and that's how you ruin a young qb. "

O wanted somehow to sell Joe Brady to the fans. Sell 2019 to the fans. That's how we end up with DJ, Munoz, and a guy who knows Brady running things.

It was a salesman trying to make a sale. It was not evaluating what was best for your young quarterback, his development, and the health of your team. It was trying to win the press conference. Not the game.

Maybe Russ Callaway would have done no better, but he has already shown he could get Max the plays quickly and that made him confident with a bad offensive line and little run game.. many of us who wanted Russ got mocked, but sometimes it's better with the devil you know.

Now, Shea replied that Russ Callaway made it very clear to those in the industry O to his face flat out promised him an on field job. He would go from being an analyst to at least PGC with a chance to be OC. He already had a great relationship with our guys especially with Max and was super excited to stay and continue his upward trajectory. Then next thing he knows he's watching O introduce Peetz as OC with DJ as PGC. What? He was promised to his face one job with a chance at the other and.. that's how he was done. (Not the first story I've heard like this regarding O and jobs by the way.) Russ' dad is a legendary high school football coach in Alabama. He's coached under Saban before. Grew up in the business. He knows how coaches treat other coaches. How you should anyway. It's a very small community as we saw when Matt Canada suffered finding many jobs after he was deemed difficult to work with here. This is the kind of thing going on behind the scenes. So Russ left and went to join rising star Joe Judge who was set to be the Mississippi State head coach at his Alma mater before the New York Giants interviewed him and gave him their job. Leach ended up there instead as the fallback option. Judge and Russ just beat the Saints on Sunday in the Dome.
Anyway. That's one of the many, many stories going on and shines a light on why we're with two very green coordinators right now and not established high profile guys. Guys don't want to work with or for O. That's the word in the coaching community.