Callahan, 46, spent four seasons as offensive coordinator for the Silver and Black before being named the 13th head coach in Oakland Raiders history on March 12, 2002. In addition to serving as offensive coordinator, Callahan coached the Raiders offensive line for three seasons and doubled as tight ends coach in 1998.
Callahan led the Raiders to the 2002 AFC Championship and the AFC West title - the team's third straight - a No. 1 seed in the AFC and a berth in Super Bowl XXXVII in his first season as head coach of the Silver and Black.
Callahan is just the fourth rookie head coach to lead his team to the Super Bowl after guiding the Raiders to the Super Bowl in an NFL-record fourth different decade. In addition, Callahan is the third Raiders head coach to lead the Silver and Black to an AFC West title and into the conference championship game in his first full season (Art Shell, 1990 and John Madden, 1969).
callahan4 (8K)Under Callahan's guidance, the Raiders led the NFL in passing for the first time in team history and led the league in total offense for just the second time in team history. In 2002 with Callahan in his initial campaign as Raiders head coach, the Raiders broke team records for most total offensive yards (6,237), most first downs (366), most first downs passing (226), most passes attempted (619) and completed (418), most passing yards (4,689) and best passing percentage (67.5).
Aside from Callahan's Raiders in 2002, no other team has ever gone through the same season winning games after throwing at least 60 passes (65 on 9/15 at Pittsburgh, 30-17 W) and rushing at least 60 times (60 on 12/28 vs. Kansas City, 24-0 W). In 2002, the Raiders outscored their opponents by 146 points, the widest margin in the AFC and third-widest in the NFL.
Under Callahan in 2002, the Raiders were second in the NFL in scoring (28.1), second in the AFC in points allowed per game (19), third in the conference in rushing defense (90.8), sixth in the AFC in total defense. The Raiders also tied for second in the conference in give-away/takeaway ratio (plus-12) and ranked fifth in the AFC in kickoffs (28-yard average start).
In 2001 with Callahan as offensive coordinator, the Raiders captured their second straight AFC Western Division title, finishing second in the AFC (fourth in NFL) in passing at 231.7 yards per game and fourth in the conference in total offense (seventh in NFL) with 335.1 yards per game average.
BILL BUSCH KEVIN COSGROVE PHIL ELMASSIAN TED GILMORE RANDY JORDAN
JOE RUDOLPH DENNIS WAGNER SHWAN WATSON BUDDY WYATT
Under Callahan's tutelage in 2001, the Raiders allowed only 27 sacks, the least ever in team history in a 16-game regular season as the Silver and Black advanced to the Divisional round of the AFC Playoffs. With Callahan as offensive coordinator and coaching the offensive line, the Raiders led the NFL in rushing in 2000, averaging 154.4 yards per game as the Silver and Black advanced to the AFC Championship game.
In addition, the Silver and Black allowed only 28 sacks in 2000, a team record before the Raiders surpassed that mark in 2001. Prior to joining the Raiders, Callahan coached the offensive line for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1995-97. From 1990-94, Callahan was offensive line coach at the University of Wisconsin. Callahan served a two-year stint, 1987-88, as offensive line coach at Northern Arizona.
The Chicago native began his college coaching career in 1980 as a graduate assistant at Illinois before being promoted to full time assistant in 1981, coaching tight ends, offensive line, quarterbacks and special teams through 1986.
Callahan was a three-year starter at quarterback at Illinois Benedictine in Lisle, Illinois, where he was a NAIA honorable mention All-American in his final two seasons. The Callahan family includes wife Valerie and their four children — Brian, Daniel, Cathryn and Jaclyn.
