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Honestly, Callahan is a good OL coach but that's all he is. It is really the head coach that sets the tone for the whole team. I didn't want to lose Marinelli for sure but he is a coordinator. Linehan was the defacto offensive coordinator this season, and I didn't want to lose him because he typically calls a mean game. However, it wouldn't have killed Dallas to lose one of them because Garrett is responsible for the great culture surrounding the team. The discipline, work ethic, and never say die attitude stems from Garrett and his ideals. I'm glad they stayed but it would have been ok had they not.
Still, losing a coordinator is one thing but losing an OL coach, or a DL coach, or a LB coach, or a WR coach just isn't that big of a deal, no matter how good they are. Heck, even losing a coordinator isn't that huge unless the head coach isn't very good.
Think about it. We've all seen where a head coach isn't that great and it is really the coordinator holding things together. Then when the coordinator gets his own head coaching gig, things start to go downhill a little and don't work as well. That happens when the head coach isn't a good one. When he isn't strong and doesn't have the attention and respect of his players and the coordinator did.
However, if the head coach is large and in charge like Belichick, or Landry, or Bill Cowher, Pete Carroll, etc., the coordinators can change, position coaches can change, and it doesn't matter because it is the program of the head coach that is responsible for the discipline, execution, drafting, and work that the team puts in.
Gus Bradley builds a great defense in Seattle and then gets his own head coaching job. Seattle fans are upset they lost their great defensive coordinator. Then, Dan Quinn comes in as a guy with not a lot of experience and all he does is make the defense even better, help win a super bowl and now he's about to get his own head coaching job in Atlanta. Carroll is just going to put another guy in that spot and keep the train rolling. That's because he is the architect of that team. It is how he wants to run things and what kind of players he and his front office get. They fly to the ball, play aggressive, smart football, and their attitude as much as anything carries them. Pete built that team and it will be that way until Carroll goes away.
Heck, someone would probably come in and win 2 years with his team if he left because his culture permeates that place and would take a while to wear off... but wear off it would because Carroll is responsible for it being there in the first place.
Just like when Switzer won with Jimmy's players and it took a couple of years for his discipline to wear off.
Or when Wade Phillips won with Parcells' players and it took a while for his influence to fade.
The team begins and ends with its head coach. That's why they get all of the credit and all of the blame for a teams success. Carroll puts an emphasis on everything that he thinks is important and the team reflects his values. The Seattle assistants and coordinators do it the way Pete wants it done and no matter who coaches the offense or the defense, or the OL or the DL... they do it the way he wants it done.
In Dallas the success of the team has everything to do with the discipline, hard work, attitude, confidence, execution, etc. that Garrett has instilled in the team. His views on acquiring talent in the draft and through free agency and his views on the character of those players has completely changed the direction of the franchise, not to mention the health of its salary cap. That is what made Dallas such a solid team top to bottom and it is what will keep the team contending as long as Garrett is in Dallas.
Yes, Callahan has done well with his offensive lines. However, it was Garrett's insistence on focusing on the OL and his input in the draft room that got Bill those 3 pro bowlers to work with. It was Garrett's insistence on having guys who weren't fat and could run to the second and third level that put those great athletes as Callahan's disposal. It was Jason's discipline that the team played with that limited their mistakes and got them working with the RB's and TE's as a single unit. It was Garrett's depth that kept the line from missing much when Free or Leary missed time. The OL got coaching from Callahan and Pollack but it was Garrett who held them responsible. It was he who would sit them on the bench if they didn't do their job... and they knew it.
Frank Pollack will have the same group to work with and they'll be under Garrett's same expectation for discipline, consistency, focus, and work ethic that they were under this season. He worked with Houston's OL for 5 years under Alex Gibbs who is like the Godfather of the zone blocking scheme. Then he worked under Callahan for two seasons and has been slated to be his replacement from the second it was clear Callahan wasn't going to be here beyond 2014.
Pollack knows the zone blocking scheme inside and out and he knows exactly what Callahan has been doing in Dallas. He's already worked 2 years with this OL and they know him well. The OL will still be in Garrett's culture but individual coaching will be Pollack.
So, yes Callahan did a good job with the OL but he was not the architect of it. The success of the OL stems from Garrett and what he expects from his coaches and his players.
The OL shouldn't miss a beat with Pollack.
As for Callahan in Washington... I know they're pretty happy and they should be, he is a good coach. However, an OL coach can only do so much. The Commanders will be better with Callahan than they would be with a bad OL coach, but it will ultimately all boil down to: How good a coach is Gruden and how good are the Commanders at finding talent. If Gruden doesn't have the full attention and respect of the team, it isn't going to matter who their OL coach is. If they don't put a plug in the leaks that keep making it to the media, who their OL coach is just won't matter. If they don't have discipline and work ethic as a team, Callahan isn't going to matter one bit.
Most of all, if they can't do a better job of acquiring talent and keeping their salary cap in line, then it isn't going to make any difference who their OL coach is. They'll be bad.
So, if Gruden is the real deal and they start picking better players then Callahan will be successful there. However, if that is the case, they would be successful no matter if Callahan was there or not.
So, like I began this stating: If you have a great culture and head coach, then you're going to have a great program and losing an OL coach isn't going to make much of a difference. However, if your head coach isn't good and the culture of the program is bad, then one good position coach isn't going to amount to a hill of beans.
Just like it always does in the NFL... it comes down to the head coach and the personnel department.
Still, losing a coordinator is one thing but losing an OL coach, or a DL coach, or a LB coach, or a WR coach just isn't that big of a deal, no matter how good they are. Heck, even losing a coordinator isn't that huge unless the head coach isn't very good.
Think about it. We've all seen where a head coach isn't that great and it is really the coordinator holding things together. Then when the coordinator gets his own head coaching gig, things start to go downhill a little and don't work as well. That happens when the head coach isn't a good one. When he isn't strong and doesn't have the attention and respect of his players and the coordinator did.
However, if the head coach is large and in charge like Belichick, or Landry, or Bill Cowher, Pete Carroll, etc., the coordinators can change, position coaches can change, and it doesn't matter because it is the program of the head coach that is responsible for the discipline, execution, drafting, and work that the team puts in.
Gus Bradley builds a great defense in Seattle and then gets his own head coaching job. Seattle fans are upset they lost their great defensive coordinator. Then, Dan Quinn comes in as a guy with not a lot of experience and all he does is make the defense even better, help win a super bowl and now he's about to get his own head coaching job in Atlanta. Carroll is just going to put another guy in that spot and keep the train rolling. That's because he is the architect of that team. It is how he wants to run things and what kind of players he and his front office get. They fly to the ball, play aggressive, smart football, and their attitude as much as anything carries them. Pete built that team and it will be that way until Carroll goes away.
Heck, someone would probably come in and win 2 years with his team if he left because his culture permeates that place and would take a while to wear off... but wear off it would because Carroll is responsible for it being there in the first place.
Just like when Switzer won with Jimmy's players and it took a couple of years for his discipline to wear off.
Or when Wade Phillips won with Parcells' players and it took a while for his influence to fade.
The team begins and ends with its head coach. That's why they get all of the credit and all of the blame for a teams success. Carroll puts an emphasis on everything that he thinks is important and the team reflects his values. The Seattle assistants and coordinators do it the way Pete wants it done and no matter who coaches the offense or the defense, or the OL or the DL... they do it the way he wants it done.
In Dallas the success of the team has everything to do with the discipline, hard work, attitude, confidence, execution, etc. that Garrett has instilled in the team. His views on acquiring talent in the draft and through free agency and his views on the character of those players has completely changed the direction of the franchise, not to mention the health of its salary cap. That is what made Dallas such a solid team top to bottom and it is what will keep the team contending as long as Garrett is in Dallas.
Yes, Callahan has done well with his offensive lines. However, it was Garrett's insistence on focusing on the OL and his input in the draft room that got Bill those 3 pro bowlers to work with. It was Garrett's insistence on having guys who weren't fat and could run to the second and third level that put those great athletes as Callahan's disposal. It was Jason's discipline that the team played with that limited their mistakes and got them working with the RB's and TE's as a single unit. It was Garrett's depth that kept the line from missing much when Free or Leary missed time. The OL got coaching from Callahan and Pollack but it was Garrett who held them responsible. It was he who would sit them on the bench if they didn't do their job... and they knew it.
Frank Pollack will have the same group to work with and they'll be under Garrett's same expectation for discipline, consistency, focus, and work ethic that they were under this season. He worked with Houston's OL for 5 years under Alex Gibbs who is like the Godfather of the zone blocking scheme. Then he worked under Callahan for two seasons and has been slated to be his replacement from the second it was clear Callahan wasn't going to be here beyond 2014.
Pollack knows the zone blocking scheme inside and out and he knows exactly what Callahan has been doing in Dallas. He's already worked 2 years with this OL and they know him well. The OL will still be in Garrett's culture but individual coaching will be Pollack.
So, yes Callahan did a good job with the OL but he was not the architect of it. The success of the OL stems from Garrett and what he expects from his coaches and his players.
The OL shouldn't miss a beat with Pollack.
As for Callahan in Washington... I know they're pretty happy and they should be, he is a good coach. However, an OL coach can only do so much. The Commanders will be better with Callahan than they would be with a bad OL coach, but it will ultimately all boil down to: How good a coach is Gruden and how good are the Commanders at finding talent. If Gruden doesn't have the full attention and respect of the team, it isn't going to matter who their OL coach is. If they don't put a plug in the leaks that keep making it to the media, who their OL coach is just won't matter. If they don't have discipline and work ethic as a team, Callahan isn't going to matter one bit.
Most of all, if they can't do a better job of acquiring talent and keeping their salary cap in line, then it isn't going to make any difference who their OL coach is. They'll be bad.
So, if Gruden is the real deal and they start picking better players then Callahan will be successful there. However, if that is the case, they would be successful no matter if Callahan was there or not.
So, like I began this stating: If you have a great culture and head coach, then you're going to have a great program and losing an OL coach isn't going to make much of a difference. However, if your head coach isn't good and the culture of the program is bad, then one good position coach isn't going to amount to a hill of beans.
Just like it always does in the NFL... it comes down to the head coach and the personnel department.
