Judge adds LSU’s Callaway to staff

Joe Judge has again added to his already large coaching staff, hiring Russ Callaway away from LSU to be the Giants offensive quality control coach.

The connection: Judge and Callaway worked together on Nick Saban’s Alabama staff in 2011.

Callaway is considered to be a rising star in the offensive coaching realm and he will work closely with Jason Garrett, the Giants’ offensive coordinator. Callaway was a wide receivers coach at Murray State and for four years was the offensive coordinator at Samford, where he helped in the development of quarterback Devlin Hodges, who ended up starting six games for the Steelers as a rookie in 2019. In 2018, Callaway’s offense was the No. 1 passing attack at the FCS level.

At LSU, Callaway was a senior offensive analyst and there was some thought he could be developing into the next Joe Brady. It was Brady who designed the offense, orchestrated by Joe Burrow, that won a national championship for LSU and led to Brady landing a job in the NFL as the Panthers’ offensive coordinator.

“Russ had a great experience at Samford, was an outstanding coordinator, did a lot of good things,” LSU head coach Ed Orgeron said after hiring Callaway. “But he’s hungry. He’s been to big-time schools. I didn’t know how good he was, to be honest with you, until we got him. And his enthusiasm is infectious.

“I do believe the guy’s going to be a coordinator and a head coach, and it won’t be long because he’s one of those type minds. He’s a great worker. Has a bright future ahead for him.”

Callaway’s father, Neil, is a former head coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.