Callahan brings NFL approach to Husker practices
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BYSTEVEN M. SIPPLE
Bill Callahan says he's "having the time of my life" while making the formidable transition from NFL head coach to the man Nebraska football fans hope leads the Huskers back into the national championship hunt.
After three months on the job in Lincoln, including three weeks of spring practice, it's become clear that Callahan seeks to foster an NFL-style modus operandi at South Stadium, a significant change for a program that became a college football power under Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne, men who rose to prominence in the college ranks and remained there until the close of their coaching careers.
Callahan's NFL-style approach manifests itself in several forms, ranging from changes in the way Nebraska practices, to his objective to be on the cutting edge of technology, to his references to the Husker program as being an "organization."
According to Callahan, "The biggest thing in making the transition from pro to college is having less meeting time."
Callahan, a 47-year-old Chicago native, spent the previous two seasons as head coach of the NFL Oakland Raiders after four seasons as a Raider assistant. Before joining the Raiders franchise, Callahan worked for three seasons as the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive line coach.
In Oakland, Callahan said, Raider coaches met with players for more than two hours in the morning, beginning at 8 sharp. Coaches guided players through a 45-minute walk-through practice before lunch. During lunch time, many players met with coaches. Everyone then returned to the practice field for a couple of hours before ending the long day with more meetings.
At Nebraska, Callahan said, he gets about one-fifth of the amount of time with players that he enjoyed in the NFL, per strict NCAA guidelines.
Consequently, Callahan and his staff must use time wisely as Nebraska makes the daunting switch to a West Coast offense while also making significant changes on defense.
"All I've done is modify (my preparation plan),"Callahan said. "Modify it and shrink it."
As for Nebraska practices, "The format you see here now is an NFL-style, pro practice,"Callahan said.
That means having significantly fewer players (about 110 compared with at least 150 in the past). It means defenders "hitting high and hard," Callahan said, and thereby reducing time players spend on the ground - a mode of operation designed to prevent injuries.
An NFL-style approach means the starting quarterback getting about 90 percent of the snaps as Nebraskauses one station of offense vs. defense compared with two, and sometimes, three stations in the past.
It means shorter practices with a quicker tempo.
"An hour and 45 minutes, that's how they do it in the pros,"said Nebraska quarterback Joe Dailey. "It's not two- and three-hour practices anymore. We're trying to get to a level where it's efficient and mistake-free."
Added reserve quarterback Garth Glissman, "The tempo is much faster. My first practice this spring, my head was kind of spinning. Plus, I think the expectations for the passing game are a lot higher, as they should be - it's going to be a major part of our game now. So we need to make drastic improvements in that area.
"There have been times this spring when I've completed a pass and I've been corrected for making the wrong read even though I completed it. It's a very detail-oriented offense."
Indeed, Nebraska is counting on Callahan's calculated, meticulous and professional approach to help the Huskers make a smooth transition from the previous regime, not to mention the transition from a run-based attack to one more inclined toward diversity.
Calculating? Meticulous? Well, Tim Cassidy, Husker associate athletic director for football, said Callahan's practice plan is so finely detailed that for a particular one-on-one drill, Callahan determines in advance exactly which receiver will be matched against exactly which defensive back.
"A lot of times, coaches would never take the time to arrange that," Cassidy said. "Bill's in a constant mode of evaluation."
Callahan, of course, concentrates on offense, directing practices with eyeglasses tilted downward, his focus constantly shifting from playbook to players and vice versa.
"He's not a micro-manager," Cassidy said. "He has expectations. But for every bit of work he expects you to do, he does twice as much. And he hired guys he knows are professionals, and they're excited to work here.
"I mean, how many opportunities do you get as a college coach to work under a guy who just coached in the Super Bowl two years ago?"
Oakland capped the 2002 season with an impressive run through the playoffs before losing to Tampa Bay in Super Bowl XXXVII.
In 2003, the Raiders finished 4-12, as they were decimated by injuries, a steroid scandal and a highly visible breakdown of the bond between Callahan and his players.
Callahan was fired by Oakland on Dec. 30 and hired by Nebraska on Jan. 9. He no doubt learned from his experiences in 2003.
"Bill's a guy who's always learning and looking for ways to improve," Cassidy said. "He's always reading, always talking about John Wooden and Don Shula."
Callahan - the son of a Chicago cop who was taught that success comes the hard way - long has maintained a diary on his personal computer that includes practice schedules from years ago as well as notes from meetings with coaches and other items of importance. He actually began taking notes as a quarterback for Illinois Benedictine, an NAIA school.
Callahan said his diary essentially sums up his day.
"I just go back and take a look where we're at and what we were thinking at a particular time,"Callahan said. "I'll look at what we implemented and why something worked. (Tampa Bay head coach) Jon Gruden mentored me in that respect. It's important to keep an eye on everything, to really have a focus on the program.
"I've just always worked hard, always been kind of a detail-oriented guy."
Cassidy said Callahan understands the importance of using computers to enhance the daily operation of the program.
"I wish I was as savvy as he is technologically," Cassidy said. "He's not a computer nerd, but he uses it for his purposes. He's always looking for us to be on the cutting edge, and he has taken a lot of the resources he had in the NFL and brought the same concepts to the University of Nebraska, and we're going to keep building on it and building on it."
Callahan may need every tool at his disposal in order to successfully orchestrate the installation of major changes on both sides of the ball. Once spring practice ends Saturday, Nebraska will have 29 practices in the heat of August before its Sept. 4 opener against Division I-AA Western Illinois.
Many Big Red fans expect immediate success.
"You have to say that when you bring in a whole new coaching staff, you're probably behind most places that have an established coaching unit," Cassidy said. "But I think what Coach Callahan has been able to do, in a short period of time, is bring in guys who have similar philosophies, guys who understand his work habits and style.
"And the players have done an exceptional job of making the adjustment to a new coaching staff. They've been like sponges. They've taken it all in, and there's more to come."
After taking Saturday and today off, Nebraska returns to the practice field Monday before having full-scale practices Wednesday and Friday in advance of Saturday's annual Red-White game.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@;journalstar.com.
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