Machota - Callahan on his demotion: ‘I live with that and I move on'

[boozeman]

Bill Callahan on his demotion: Things happen for a reason, ‘I live with that and I move on’
By Jon Machota
jmachota@dallasnews.com
4:46 pm on May 16, 2014 |

IRVING – After hiring Scott Linehan to call offensive plays in January, the Dallas Cowboys denied Baltimore and Cleveland permission to speak with Bill Callahan, their play-caller in 2013.

Callahan, who is under contract through this season, will remain as offensive coordinator/offensive line coach.

“That’s all in the past,” Callahan said Friday, his first time speaking publicly since his demotion. “I just continue to focus in. My mindset is looking toward the future, what we’re doing here with the offensive line and my role and my responsibilities now. I really don’t look back. I just keep working forward and try to do the best I can.”

Callahan has been on the Cowboys coaching staff since 2012, however, last season was his first as the play-caller. Dallas averaged 341.1 yards per game, which was 16th in the NFL, and ranked fifth in scoring, averaging 27.4 last season.

Callahan wanted no part of evaluating his lone season as play-caller.

“I feel like I’m a fit guy, no matter where I’m at, so I just take it on a mindset and a focus to do the best job I can no matter where I’m at or what the situation is and the opportunity that presents itself,” Callahan said. “My focus is on our offensive line and improving them day in and day out and getting them better.

“I just take on the mindset that things happen for a reason. I live with that and I move on. I make the best of each situation I’m in. I never worry about anything else. I’ve always had confidence in myself and my abilities to do a good job. My focus has always been to do a great job where I’m at. Everything else takes care of itself. I’m not concerned about any of that stuff.”

 

[Genghis Khan]

Ludicre that they kept him on. Completely stupid.

 

[NoDak]

Ludicre that they kept him on. Completely stupid.

Why? He's under contract and he is a good OL coach. He can leave after this year when his contract is up.

 

[boozeman]

Why? He's under contract and he is a good OL coach. He can leave after this year when his contract is up.

Callahan made it pretty clear he wanted to leave during the offseason. If the guy doesn't want to be around, why keep him?

 

[NoDak]

Callahan made it pretty clear he wanted to leave during the offseason. If the guy doesn't want to be around, why keep him?

Again, because he was under contract and is a good OL coach.

I make the best of each situation I’m in. I never worry about anything else. I’ve always had confidence in myself and my abilities to do a good job. My focus has always been to do a great job where I’m at. Everything else takes care of itself. I’m not concerned about any of that stuff.”

 

[boozeman]

Again, because he was under contract and is a good OL coach.

He's going to say the right things and be professional about it. He wasn't even coaching the OL for the most part last year, Pollack was. I would have let the guy go if he wanted to go.

 

[NoDak]

He's going to say the right things and be professional about it.

And there you have it.

 

[Cotton]

And there you have it.

He meant be professional about it in public. I guarantee you it will affect his work. We should have let him go.

 

[NoDak]

He meant be professional about it in public. I guarantee you it will affect his work. We should have let him go.

You can guarantee it, eh?

Ok.

Kinda curious as to how you know exactly what he meant, tho.

 

[Carp]

I don't care that he is still here...I mean he has been a part of our lines resurgence. This current staff has one year left, give them everything staff wise to make it happen. Even if Callahan is bitter, part of Garrett's job is getting the people who work under him to stay on task.

 

[L.T. Fan]

I agee he is under contract and it is the employer's discretion as to whether he wants to hold his feet to the fire. It may not be the best of circumstances but the boss is the boss.

 

[Genghis Khan]

Why? He's under contract and he is a good OL coach. He can leave after this year when his contract is up.

Because it is extremely important to have a cohesive staff of coaches.

He may be a good Oline coach, but he's not so good that it's more important to keep him than it is to have coaches that work well together.

He's clearly unhappy and disgruntled. You don't want that on a coaching staff. It's poison.

 

[Genghis Khan]

He's going to say the right things and be professional about it. He wasn't even coaching the OL for the most part last year, Pollack was. I would have let the guy go if he wanted to go.

Right, exactly. I'm not even sure exactly how much you can attribute the OLine's improvement to anything he did. I don't see what he is bringing to the team that we don't already have, other than discontent.

 

[Genghis Khan]

I don't care that he is still here...I mean he has been a part of our lines resurgence. This current staff has one year left, give them everything staff wise to make it happen. Even if Callahan is bitter, part of Garrett's job is getting the people who work under him to stay on task.

Better players were responsible for our line's resurgence.

I agree, though, that part of Garrett's job is to make this work. Problem is, I don't think that's within Garrett's skillset. And I think it's unnecessarily taxing on an already difficult job.

 

[jsmith6919]

Right, exactly. I'm not even sure exactly how much you can attribute the OLine's improvement to anything he did. I don't see what he is bringing to the team that we don't already have, other than discontent.

I'd give more credit to Pollack for last years line, Callahan himself said he wouldn't be near as involved with it then

 

[Carp]

It was his zone blocking scheme though...let's not pretend Garrett was still not the OC.

 

[jsmith6919]

It was his zone blocking scheme though...let's not pretend Garrett was still not the OC.

I'm sure it was/is his zbs, I just think Pollack is capable of overseeing it

 

[boozeman]

It was his zone blocking scheme though...let's not pretend Garrett was still not the OC.

Honestly Pollack has had more experience with the Alex Gibbs style-ZBS from his time in Houston and I think it helped a lot. We couldn't run a decent play in 2012, then last year we were much crisper and then by the end of the year, it was set if we just ran more. Granted, we did have Wade's snot nose kid as OL assistant in 2012.

 

[ravidubey]

It was his zone blocking scheme though...let's not pretend Garrett was still not the OC.

This is Callahan's strength and he needs to accept it. He'll be a professional because you're always trying out for next season in the NFL. The best thing Callahan can do right now is field a dominant OL. He has the horses, so the pressure is on him to make it work. If it does not work, he's greatly damaged his NFL future.

Bottom line is the Cowboys felt Callahan was behind the OL's above-average execution, not any other coaches, or else they wouldn't have retained him.

 

[Clay_Allison]

I wonder how much Callahan was complicit in not using the running game he helped build. If he wanted to run and Garrett didn't let him I could see why he was pissed.