It's not everyday an NFL coach gets to work alongside their son. So when the opportunity came about for former Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan, Cleveland's brass wasn't going to deny him a once in a life time experience.
Back on Jan. 24, Bill's son Brian, who spent the last five years as the offensive coordinator in Cincinnati, was selected to be the Titans new head man. From the moment it was announced, speculation started swirling that Bill would be joining his son's staff in short order. One week later, that speculation became reality as the Browns let Bill Callahan out of his contract to head south down I-71 to Nashville.
On Wednesday Brian Callahan opened up about what it means to him to have such a unique opportunity to work alongside his father in the NFL.
"There's a complicated process because it wasn't something that I had anticipated in the moment if that's what he wanted to do," Brian Callahan said. "I wasn't sure he'd be contractually allowed to. And it was a process that we had to work through with the Browns organization and thankfully they were really – kind is the wrong word, this isn't a kind business – they were aware enough to know the uniqueness of the situation and allow it to continue to go down that road. Appreciative of that perspective from them and allowed it to happen."
Bill Callahan is considered by most to be the best o-line coach in the game, which is why his departure comes as a pretty significant loss for the Browns. In this instance, Cleveland actually let the human element game take precedent over the business side, which is a rare in today's NFL – so bogged down by the business aspects of the sport. Brian Callahan eluded to that sometimes cruel reality of the NFL, but continued to express his gratitude that everything worked out.
"It wasn't something that initially we thought was gonna be the case," he said. "Turned out that we were gonna be able to make it work. Probably one of the coolest moments for me is being able to have that happen. It's been really fun to drive to work with him every day. It's not something I ever thought would work, truthfully. To be here with him is a really awesome moment for me, both as a son and as a professional."
The Browns have since replaced Bill Callahan with another well-respected offensive line coach in Andry Dickerson, who spent the last three seasons in Seattle.
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