Bill Callahan

Coaching Record

Years Coached Record Win % Playoff record Playoff win %
26 216-191-2 53.06% 11-11 50.00%

Coaching Tree

Parents:

Jon Gruden, Ray Rhodes

Children:

Jim Harbaugh, Marc Trestman

Biography

Table of Contents

Career Summary

Bill Callahan is a football coach in the National Football League (NFL) and has been the offensive line coach for the Tennessee Titans since 2024. Prior to this season, he coached for the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Cleveland Browns for twenty-five seasons. His most recent position was with the Browns as their offensive line coach. He was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 2002 until the 2003 season, during which time the Raiders went 15-17-0. During his career he was a head coach for two seasons. He was fired from the Raiders on Tuesday, December 30, 2003.

Career Awards

During his time as head coach and offensive coordinator he coached two players to award-winning seasons. As the head coach for the Raiders Rich Gannon won Most Valuable Player. As the offensive coordinator for the Cowboys DeMarco Murray won AP Offensive Player of the Year.

Bill Callahan Coaching Tree

Before he was a head coach, Callahan served as an assistant coach for Ray Rhodes, Jon Gruden, Eric Mangini, Rex Ryan, Jason Garrett, Jay Gruden, Kevin Stefanski, and Brian Callahan. Five of these years were spent on Gruden's coaching staff. During his time as head coach, two assistant coaches, (Jim Harbaugh and Marc Trestman) on his coaching staff were hired as head coaches across the league. His coaching tree has combined for a record of 61-41-1 in the regular season and 5-3 in the playoffs during their seven seasons as head coach after serving on his coaching staffs.

Personal Information

Callahan was born on Tuesday, July 31, 1956 in Chicago, Illinois.

Table of Contents

Playing Career

Bill Callahan got his football beginnings in college, where he played as the starting quarterback for Illinois Benedictine College for three seasons and was an NAIA honorable mention All-American for his last two seasons.

Coaching Career

High School Coaching Career

After graduating he went on to his first ever coaching position for Oak Lawn Community High School for a year, then to De La Salle Institute for another year. He was the assistant coach for both teams before moving up to the ranks of the college coaches.

College Career

University of Illinois

In the year of 1980 Callahan was hired to be the graduate assistant for the University of Illinois. A year later he was recognized enough to be hired on full time as the special teams coach/tight ends coach. In 1984 he took the offensive line coaching position before moving to be the quarterbacks coach in 1986. With his assistance, the team became Big 10 Champions in 1983 with a perfect 9-0 record and visited two other Bowls – including the Rose Bowl following the 1983 season. During his time as a full time assistant coach, they finished fourth or better in the Big Ten five out of the six years he was there.

Northern Arizona University

In 1987 he went on to Northern Arizona to become their new offensive line coach until the end of the 1988 season. This is also the time when he coached Frank Pollack, who would later join Callahan on the Dallas Cowboys staff as offensive line coaches.

Southern Illinois

Southern Illinois offered him his first job as offensive coordinator in 1989 where he only stuck around for a single season before returning to Division I.

University of Wisconsin – Madison

From 1990 through 1994 Callahan worked as offensive line coach for Wisconsin. Because of his recruiting style he’s been praised by Barry Alvarez for assisting in turning their program around and winning three Rose Bowls in the 90’s with his recruiting abilities.

NFL Coaching

Philadelphia Eagles

In 1995 he got his first job working in the NFL as the offensive line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. Thanks in part to his coaching, the Eagles led the conference in passing and ranked second in rushing yards and also led the conference in total offense in 1996. In 1997 they ranked fifth in rushing yards, second in NFC passing and third in total offense in 1997.

Oakland Raiders

Callahan soon got hired on as the offensive coordinator/tight ends coach for the Las Vegas Raiders in 1998. For four of his 6 year stint with the Raiders he remained the offensive coordinator until he was promoted to head coach in 2002. Callahan’s very first season as head coach he not only won the franchise a Super Bowl; but also their third consecutive AFC West title. In doing so, he was the fourth ever rookie coach to accomplish this in NFL history.

During his time with the Raiders, he coached them into leading the NFL in passing for the first time in franchise history. They also led the league in total offense in the same year (a feat only happening twice in the history of the team).

In 2002, the team broke many of their own records thanks to Callahan’s tutelage, to include: total offensive yards at 6,237; most first downs at 366; most first downs passing with 226; most passes attempted (619) and completed (418); most passing yards with 4,689 and the highest completion percentage (67.5%).

Brief Return to College

University of Nebraska

After his time in the NFL Callahan was hired to be the head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers and introduced the West Coast Offense to a team used to running an Option Offense for decades. From 2004 through the 2007 season, he worked as head coach for the Cornhuskers and won the 2005 Alamo Bowl, the 2006 Big 12 North and was later fired after the 2007 season. However, the team also suffered their only two losing seasons since 1961.

Return to the NFL

New York Jets

From 2008 through 2011 he was hired on as the assistant head coach/offensive line coach for the New York Jets. During his time with the team he coached offensive linemen Nick Mangold, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, and Alan Faneca, to four, three, and two Pro Bowl appearances respectively. In 2009 the Jets set a franchise record led the league for total rushing yards at 2,756 and had two 300 yard games that season with many more 175+ yard games. He also helped to coach the fourth-best single-season rushing total in 2010 with 2,374 yards. In his first two seasons with the team, the Jets also made two AFC Championships Game appearances.

Dallas Cowboys

After his time with the Jets he went on to become the offensive coordinator/offensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys, lasting from 2012 through 2014. He met up with and got the opportunity to coach with a former player here in 2013, Frank Pollack – who was then the assistant offensive line coach. The Cowboys best season was in 2014 when the team went 12-4 and won the NFC East.

Washington Redskins

The Washington Commanders have announced Bill Callahan will be their new offensive line coach for the 2015 season.

History

Year Position Record Playoff record
2024 Tennessee Titans Offensive Line Coach 1-6-0 0-0
2023 Cleveland Browns Offensive Line Coach 11-6-0 0-1
2022 Cleveland Browns Offensive Line Coach 7-10-0 0-0
2021 Cleveland Browns Offensive Line Coach 8-8-0 0-0
2020 Cleveland Browns Offensive Line Coach 11-5-0 1-1
2019 Washington Redskins Interim Head Coach / Offensive Line Coach 3-8-0 0-0
2019 Washington Redskins Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Line Coach 0-5-0 0-0
2018 Washington Redskins Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Line Coach 7-9-0 0-0
2017 Washington Redskins Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Line Coach 7-9-0 0-0
2016 Washington Redskins Offensive Line Coach 8-7-1 0-0
2015 Washington Redskins Offensive Line Coach 9-7-0 0-1
2014 Dallas Cowboys Offensive Coordinator / Offensive Line Coach 12-4-0 1-1
2013 Dallas Cowboys Offensive Coordinator / Offensive Line Coach 8-8-0 0-0
2012 Dallas Cowboys Offensive Coordinator / Offensive Line Coach 8-8-0 0-0
2011 New York Jets Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Line Coach 8-8-0 0-0
2010 New York Jets Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Line Coach 11-5-0 2-1
2009 New York Jets Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Line Coach 9-7-0 2-1
2008 New York Jets Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Line Coach 9-7-0 0-0
2007 Nebraska Cornhuskers Head Coach 5-7-0
2006 Nebraska Cornhuskers Head Coach 9-5-0
2005 Nebraska Cornhuskers Head Coach 8-4-0
2004 Nebraska Cornhuskers Head Coach 5-6-0
2003 Oakland Raiders Head Coach 4-12-0 0-0
2002 Oakland Raiders Head Coach 11-5-0 2-1
2001 Oakland Raiders Offensive Coordinator / Offensive Line Coach 10-6-0 1-1
2000 Oakland Raiders Offensive Coordinator / Offensive Line Coach 12-4-0 1-1
1999 Oakland Raiders Offensive Coordinator / Offensive Line Coach 8-8-0 0-0
1998 Oakland Raiders Offensive Coordinator / Tight Ends Coach 8-8-0 0-0
1997 Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Line Coach 6-9-1 0-0
1996 Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Line Coach 10-6-0 0-1
1995 Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Line Coach 10-6-0 1-1

Coach history guide

Seasons with a championship win Seasons with a conference championship

Coach facts