Tag: Russ Callaway

Billy Napier discusses Russ Callaway on Florida’s staff, son of a ‘legendary coach’

Florida head coach Billy Napier discusses Russ Callaway on the Gators’ staff in 2023.

Russ Callaway, 35, is in his first season as a position coach at Florida.

Second-year Florida head coach Billy Napier elevated Callaway to tight ends coach in 2023 after serving in an off-field defensive role with the Gators last season.

Callaway served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2016-19 at Samford with an Air Raid attack under head coach Chris Hatcher. Hatcher played quarterback at Valdosta State under Hal Mumme and Mike Leach.

Callaway launched his coaching career at Alabama in 2011, alongside Napier as both served as analysts for the Crimson Tide.

He is the son of Neil Callaway, former UAB head coach and offensive coordinator at Alabama and Georgia. Neil Callaway served as Purdue’s assistant offensive line coach when the Boilermakers defeated Tennessee and first-year head coach Josh Heupel, 48-45 in overtime, during the 2021 Music City Bowl.

UAB and Neil Callaway lost at Tennessee, 32-29 in double-overtime, on Sept. 25, 2010 at Neyland Stadium.

Neil Callaway during the 2021 Music City Bowl versus Tennessee. Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Napier discussed Callaway on the Southeastern Conference coaches media teleconference on Wednesday.

“Russ was with us at Alabama as a defensive analyst early in his career,” Napier said. “Then he had an opportunity to go call plays. His Dad is obviously a legendary coach at the collegiate level. He is a former quarterback, team captain and a good player. I think his experience calling plays at Samford, and certainly his experience at LSU working with quarterbacks, and in the National Football League for a year.

“He did a nice job with our defensive staff last year, I’ve kind of given him an offensive perspective. I think he’s just got a good mind and certainly connected in our recruiting areas. He’s done a nice job so far.”

No. 9 Tennessee (2-0, 0-0 SEC) will play at Florida on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. EDT and ESPN will televise the SEC East matchup.

Russ Callaway’s bio

2023: Florida, tight ends
2022: Florida, defensive intern
2021: New York Giants, offensive assistant
2020: LSU, senior offensive assistant and analyst
2018-19: Samford, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
2016-17: Samford, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks/wide receivers
2015: Samford, wide receivers/pass game coordinator
2013-14: Murray State, wide receivers/recruiting coordinator
2011-12: Alabama, defensive analyst

Russ Callaway. Doug Engle/USA TODAY Network

Florida football’s tight ends coach a rising star among P5 assistants

Russ Callaway is among the top up-and-coming assistants in college football.

One of the cornerstones of Billy Napier’s blueprint for Florida football’s success is to bring in the best and brightest to join his staff down in the Swamp.

Among the many talented assistants and staffers he has brought into the fold is tight ends coach [autotag]Russ Callaway[/autotag], who was promoted this past offseason after the departure of William Peagler to the Arizona Cardinals. His star appears to be quickly rising as he was included in On3’s list of 30 rising star Power Five assistant coaches you need to know, courtesy of Matt Zenitz.

Callaway’s collegiate body of work includes a good deal of Southeastern Conference experience, starting his coaching career with the Alabama Crimson Tide as a defensive analyst. Ed Orgeron, his former boss with the LSU Tigers, had some glowing words for Calloway back when he was in Baton Rouge.

“I didn’t know how good he was, to be honest with you, until we got him. And his enthusiasm is infectious. He’s an outstanding coach and (was) taught well by his dad (veteran coach Neil Callaway) and learned well. I do believe the guy’s going to be a coordinator and a head coach, and it won’t be long because he’s one of those type(s of) minds.”

Callaway also had stints with the New York Giants and Murray State Racers, and was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Football Championship Subdivision Samford Bulldogs before LSU. With Samford, he helped quarterback Devlin Hodges win the Walter Payton Award as the top offensive player in the FCS when he also broke the FCS record for career passing yards previously held by 2003 NFL MVP Steve McNair.

His role with the Gators as the tight ends coach this season is his first on-field job at a Power Five school.

Zenitz’s picks are based on votes and feedback from numerous sources around the coaching world. It doesn’t include coaches who were on previous On3 preseason rising star lists and is limited to coaches 45 years old and under.

Florida opens its 2023 schedule on the road against the Utah Utes on Thursday, Aug. 31, with a kickoff time of 8 p.m. EDT.

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Going over Florida DC Austin Armstrong’s contract details

Florida brought in a young, new defensive coordinator after Patrick Toney left for the NFL. Here’s how much Austin Armstrong will be paid.

Billy Napier brought in [autotag]Austin Armstrong[/autotag] to fill the defensive coordinator spot left vacant by [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag], who is now working in the NFL. Armstrong is one of the nation’s youngest defensive coordinators but he doesn’t come cheap.

According to a report from All Gators, Armstrong is set to receive $1,100,000 in his first year at Florida and receive increases of $100,000 in each of the following two seasons. That puts the total value at $3,600,000 over three years.

Armstrong was initially going to serve as Alabama‘s inside linebackers coach this season after two years as Southern Mississippi’s defensive coordinator, but getting the chance to call defensive plays in the SEC is too good to pass up. The money is right, too.

The AllGators report also included the salaries of two new position coaches, tight ends coach [autotag]Russ Callaway[/autotag] and wide receivers coach [autotag]Billy Gonzalez[/autotag]. Callaway is earning $300,000 after moving from his analyst role, and Gonzalez is getting $500,000. Both are on two-year deals through the end of January 2025.

Napier has $7,500,000 to work with for the on-field staff and another $5,000,000 for off-field assistants.

Additionally, a trio of basketball assistants is making a combined $1,120,000. Carlin Hartman, who has a been a key recruiter for the staff on several big-name targets, leads the way with a $565,000 salary, and Korey Gray and Kevin Hovde bring in a reported $365,000 and $190,000, respectively.

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Florida football coach to visit blue-chip 2025 quarterback recruit

Russ Calloway will hit the road to check up on this 4-star QB recruit.

Billy Napier and Co. have been busy hosting top prep prospects from around the country over the past several weeks but the efforts of Florida football’s recruiting staff have not been limited to the Gainesville city limits.

Among the many young student-athletes the Gators have their eyes on is four-star quarterback [autotag]Ryan Montgomery[/autotag] out of Findlay (Ohio) in the 2025 cycle, who is expected to receive a visit from tight ends coach [autotag]Russ Callaway[/autotag], according to Swamp247. No specific date has been set yet, however.

This visit is intended to follow up on Montgomery’s campus visit on April 6 which concluded his spring itinerary, which also included the Clemson Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks and Georgia Bulldogs. The 6-foot-3-inch, 210-pound passer came away quite impressed with how the program is coming together under Napier’s leadership with an assist to quarterbacks analyst [autotag]Ryan O’Hara[/autotag].

“It was great,” he told 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong. “Was my first time there and I really liked it. Pretty surprised how nice it was. First of all, Coach (Ryan) O’Hara who has been my main recruiter there who works with the quarterbacks has done a phenomenal job with me. I’ve done three Zoom calls with him already going over their offensive scheme and watching practice and game film of their game last year. They’re definitely people I will be comfortable with in terms of development. I think Coach Napier and Coach O’Hara are definitely two guys that can develop me and get me to the next level.”

All four schools he visited this spring have extended scholarship offers, as well as the Colorado Buffaloes, Kentucky Wildcats, Miami Hurricanes, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, North Carolina Tar Heels, South Carolina Gamecocks, Tennessee Volunteers, Texas A&M Aggies and Ohio State Buckeyes.

Montgomery is ranked No. 187 overall and No. 13 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 162 and 11, respectively. Ohio State owns one crystal ball prediction from 247Sports and also holds the upper hand in On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine with a 26.1% chance of signing him. Michigan, Kentucky and Penn State follow behind at 17.8%, 8.8% and 7.4%, respectively.

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Florida promotes from within for new tight ends coach

Billy Napier didn’t have to look far when deciding who would become the Gators’ new tight ends coach right before Spring practices started.

Billy Napier has decided to promote from within when it comes to naming a new tight ends coach.

Russ Callaway, a 35-year-old with college and NFL coaching experience, has been named the new Florida Gators Tight Ends coach ahead of spring practices. Callaway was already on the staff, having joined the Gators ahead of the 2022 season in an off-field role.

Former tight ends coach William Peagler left the program in late February to join the Arizona Cardinals coaching staff in the NFL. Along with Peagler, defensive coordinator Patrick Toney also left to join the Cardinals, while wide receivers coach Keary Colbert left to join the Denver Broncos staff. All three left before the start of spring practices. Austin Armstrong took over as defensive coordinator, while Billy Gonzales rejoined the Orange and Blue as its wide receivers coach.

Callaway has an extensive resume that includes stops with other top college programs like LSU and Alabama. He also spent time in the NFL with the New York Giants and briefly worked at FCS program Samford, where he spent time as their offensive coordinator. In 2016, his Samford offense finished third among all FCS teams in passing offense, averaging over 345 yards per game.

His promotion signals Napier is open to giving young coaches who have cut their teeth in off-field roles opportunities to make a name for themselves. No program wants to lose assistants so close to spring practices, but if they are going to go anywhere, it’s a good sign that they’re leaving for the professional ranks.

Napier has decided to bet on a guy he brought in last season. Let’s see if Callaway proves to be the answer Florida has been searching for since [autotag]Kyle Pitts[/autotag] left for the Atlanta Falcons.

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Gators promoting analyst to tight ends coach position

The Gators think they already have a coach qualified to lead the team’s tight ends, so Florida is promoting from within to fill the empty spot.

The Florida Gators are promoting from within to fill the tight ends coaching spot left by [autotag]William Peagler[/autotag] after his departure to the NFL. Defensive analyst [autotag]Russ Callaway[/autotag] is being promoted, according to On3’s Matt Zenitz.

Callaway played quarterback for Valdosta State but tore his ACL twice from 2009 to 2010 and followed his father’s footsteps as a coach. Callaway’s dad, Neil, was the head coach at Alabama-Birmingham at the time. After serving as a student assistant at VSU his senior year, he served as a defensive assistant for Alabama during back-to-back championship seasons in 2011 and 2012. Billy Napier was also an analyst for the Crimson Tide in 2011 and Callaway was coaching under then-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Kirby Smart.

After Alabama, Callaway coached wide receivers and was the recruiting coordinator for two years at Murray State. He moved on to Samford, where he lasted five years as a wide receivers coach and then quarterbacks coach. Callaway made his way back to the SEC in 2020 as a senior offensive assistant and analyst for LSU and then worked with the New York Giants in 2021 before joining Billy Napier’s staff as a defensive analyst.

Although Callaway was working with Florida’s defense in 2022, he should transition into his new role seamlessly. He’s worked with pass catchers before and produced great results. He’ll be working with a group that didn’t perform up to expectations a season ago but should have a bit more depth in 2023.

Juniors [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] and [autotag]Dante Zanders[/autotag] served as starters a year ago and are both returning, and [autotag]Jonathan Odom[/autotag] is also back on campus. [autotag]Arlis Boardignham[/autotag] didn’t play a game last season, but he could be a factor in his redshirt freshman year. Fellow 2022 signee [autotag]Hayden Hansen[/autotag] also returns, and [autotag]Andrew Savaiinaea[/autotag] has transitioned from defensive end to tight end.

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Giants add 3 assistants to coaching staff

Giants make additions to the coaching staff.

The New York Giants added three more assistants to Joe Judge’s coaching staff, the team announced Thursday.

The three new assistants include Russ Callaway, Ryan Anderson and Carter Blount.

It was reported last week that the Giants would be bringing on Callaway to the coaching staff but in what capacity was unknown. Callaway will be working as the offensive quality control coach after he spent the 2020 season as LSU’s senior offensive analyst.

Both Anderson and Blount will be brought on as defensive quality control coaches. Anderson most recently worked as the safeties coach for Elon College in 2019-2020. Before that, he worked as Hampton University’s defensive coordinator in 2018, was the inside linebackers coach at East Carolina in 2016-17 and was a defensive assistant at Vanderbilt from 2013-15.

Blount was most recently the special teams quality control analyst at the University of Tennessee. He has a history with Judge, both of which worked for Alabama in 2009.

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Report: Giants to hire LSU assistant Russ Callaway to coaching staff

The New York Giants are reportedly hiring Russ Callaway to the coaching staff.

The New York Giants are reportedly hiring LSU senior assistant Russ Callaway as an offensive assistant to their staff, per Matt Zenitz of AL.com.

Callaway was recently promoted from analyst to a full-time coaching gig at LSU by head coach Ed Orgeron but it was unclear what his role was. Before being hired by LSU, Callaway served as the offensive coordinator at Samford and led one of the nation’s most productive offenses.

“He is tremendous,” Orgeron said of Callaway in an interview last summer. “I think Russ is going to be a great coach in college football. He already proved himself at Samford and had one of the best offenses in the country. He is (offensive coordinator Steve) Ensminger’s right hand man. He does a lot of work for us and has a lot of energy. I think he is a great young coach.”

Ensminger retired after the 2020 season and passing game coordinator Scott Lineman left the staff. It was believed that Callaway would fill one of those roles but it appears the Giants have snatched him away.

The Giants finished 31st in the NFL in total offense in 2020 and are seeking any and all options to improve that standing. It could be that they are moving away from Jason Garrett calling the plays and moving towards a more innovative thinker.

LSU assistant reportedly promoted to full-time role

The LSU Tigers found themselves with multiple vacancies on the coaching staff after a dismal 2020 season.

The LSU Tigers have multiple vacancies on their coaching staff after head coach Ed Orgeron announced several members of his 2020 staff would not return in 2021.

One such vacancy could already be filled, as offensive analyst Russ Callaway has reportedly been promoted to a full-time role on LSU’s staff, according to FootballScoop.

Callaway, who was hired last offseason as an offensive analyst, was previously the offensive coordinator at Samford, where he led one of the most prolific offensive units in all of FCS.

It is unknown what role Callaway has received — or could receive, but the move would keep a talented, young offensive coach on the staff.

Former offensive coordinator, Steve Ensminger, was also LSU’s quarterbacks coach. That would be a natural move for Callaway as he transitions to an on-field role for the Tigers.

Callaway could also replace Scott Linehan as passing game coordinator. Linehan’s one-year stint in Baton Rouge was disappointing after replacing Joe Brady.

Orgeron has spoken highly of Callaway since hiring him last offseason.

Callaway is not expected to be named offensive coordinator as Orgeron prefers someone with Power Five experience in that role.