Florida soccer co-offensive coordinator Russ Callaway recalled certainly one of his first journeys to The Swamp.
As a 10-year-old, Callaway was a ball boy alongside the sidelines, serving to his father, Neil Callaway, who was the offensive coordinator at Alabama on the time. The Shaun Alexander-led Crimson Tide upset the Florida Gators 40-39 on that October afternoon in 1999, which started with the youthful Callaway getting an earful from then UF soccer coach Steve Spurrier.
“He’d yell, ‘Hey, you’re placing an excessive amount of air in these balls!’,” Callaway stated. “You recognize he’d give me all of that stuff and I used to be simply in awe that Coach Spurrier was speaking to me.”
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1 / 4 of a century later, Callaway is now on the Florida sidelines, the place he’ll tackle added duty this yr as UF’s co-offensive coordinator. His position in play-calling hasn’t been decided but, however on the finish of final season, he began to sign in performs from the sidelines, a step in his development from tight ends coach.
“In what we do, that is a giant, essential piece, communication,” Callaway stated. “Since you’re speaking to the quarterback, you are speaking to the tight finish, the operating again. It’s a good technique to sort of choose up the offense and study, you understand, the intricacies of the alignments, assignments, from the entire 11.”
However for now, Callaway views himself as a part of a crew main the offense, the place he’ll proceed his obligations as tight ends coach.
“We’ve a terrific, cohesive unit, and I feel it begins with us in that room after which transitions to the gamers,” Callaway stated. “As a result of they see you speaking, they see you speaking and asking questions. Everyone’s on board doing the proper factor.”
UF soccer co-offensive coordinator Russ Callaway a coach’s son
Callaway’s father, Neil, has stints as an offensive coordinator at Houston (1993-96), Alabama (1998-2000) and Georgia (2001-06) earlier than a four-year run as head coach at UAB (2007-11).
“I grew up within the recreation,” Callaway stated. “Been at each SEC stadium twice, and this was the one spot I used to be like, man, that may be actually cool in the future if I might be a Gator, and right here I’m.”
Alongside the way in which, the youthful Callaway realized from a number of coaches, together with Mark Richt and Mike Bobo when his dad labored at Georgia. Then, Callaway started his personal teaching profession because the offensive coordinator at Samford from 2017-19 and gained additional offensive perception working as an offensive analyst at LSU below Steve Ensminger and an offensive assistant with the New York Giants below Jason Garrett.
“Final yr, to sort of observe him and a few of his obligations, I assumed he did a terrific job in not solely getting ready for conferences with me but additionally his interactions with the gamers,” Florida soccer coach Billy Napier stated. “I feel he’s acquired good understanding. It’s evident that he’s a coach’s son. He’s a pacesetter. He’s completed an excellent job in his position thus far.”
Russ Callaway excessive on the potential of UF soccer’s offense
With Napier calling the performs final season, Florida completed sixth within the SEC in whole offense (409.1 ypg) and seventh in move offense (259.3 yg). There may be hope that Florida could make a leap in each classes with quarterback Graham Mertz again in his second season as a starter.
“I am tremendous enthusiastic about Graham,” Callaway stated. “That child, all of it begins with the quarterback in my view. And you understand, first off, he is a terrific individual. He is an unbelievable communicator. We ask him to do so much in our offense, and he is very, very sharp. And he has taken it to the subsequent degree greater than I assumed he would from final yr, and that is a terrific signal for us …
“We have lots of guys in that unit which are hungry, and desperate to go on the market and show what we will do.”
How a lot the offense progresses this spring might additionally decide Callaway’s future obligations this fall.
“Like every offseason, you need to critique and do issues higher, you understand, whether or not it is group, from a scheme standpoint, no matter,” Callaway stated. “However I am tremendous enthusiastic about this chance and may’t look ahead to this yr.”
This text initially appeared on The Gainesville Solar: Florida Gators soccer coach Russ Callaway taking over greater position in offense
