First Call: Browns to hire offensive line coach that some Steelers fans wanted in Pittsburgh
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At the end of the NFL regular season, if you did a Twitter search of Bill Callahan’s name, you got a ton of people suggesting the Steelers should hire him as a special assistant to help coach the offensive line.
Or just get him to flat-out replace Shaun Sarrett.
The Steelers offensive line fell back in its first year without Mike Munchak. Callahan struggled as a head coach (15-17 with Oakland, 27-22 with University of Nebraska). He just wrapped up a stint with the Redskins as interim head coach this season (3-8).
However, his offensive lines with the Raiders and Jets featured numerous Pro Bowlers. Callahan got his start at the University of Wisconsin where he schooled the likes of future NFL players Joe Panos, Joe Rudolph, Mike Verstegen and Cory Raymer.
But those who were hoping the Steelers would bring him on board to aid the blocking up front are out of luck. Not only is Callahan going to another NFL team, he’s going to a division rival.
NFL.com reports that the Browns are hiring Bill Callahan to be the offensive line coach on Kevin Stefanski’s first staff. Not only will he tutor the offensive line there, but he’ll bring some head coaching experience to aid the latest first-time head coach attempting to steer the constantly rudderless ship in Cleveland.
Stefanski was the offensive coordinator with the Vikings before taking the Browns job this offseason.
Having two coaches to monitor the same position wouldn’t exactly have been unprecedented for the Steelers. Teryl Austin joined Tom Bradley on the staff this year to coach the secondary. Jerry Olsavsky and Joey Porter used to split duties coaching the linebackers between inside and outside.
Elsewhere in “First Call” ….
• The 14th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers blew out Texas 97-59 Monday night. Along the way, walk-on Spencer Macke hit a three pointer and had a wonderful moment. He got carried off the court with a hero’s kind of treatment.
Right in front of a grinning Bob Huggins.
A walk-on 3, a grin from Huggs, a celebration for the ages.
Spencer Macke makes the final triple for @WVUhoops vs. Texas, and then is carried off the court as fans sing Country Roads. pic.twitter.com/l0cZCUwblv
— Nick Farrell (@ByNickFarrell) January 21, 2020
• I’ve previously advanced the idea that the Tennessee Titans should be the team to sign Tom Brady if he decides to leave New England. Apparently, I’m not alone in that thinking.
• We had an NHL buzzer beater last night. Florida Panthers’ Noel Acciari scored a game-winning goal with under five seconds left to beat the Minnesota Wild 5-4.
Almost no time left on the clock and Noel Acciari pulls out a clutch game winner for the @FlaPanthers! pic.twitter.com/gFMmyuGkww
— NHL (@NHL) January 21, 2020
Pittsburgh product Vincent Trocheck scored for the Panthers, too. Florida has 59 points, currently good for a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division.
They host the Penguins on Saturday, Feb. 8.
• In the NBA Monday, Portland’s Damian Lillard had himself quite a night against the Golden State Warriors.
Damian Lillard is the 6th player in NBA history with multiple 60-point games.
They are the only two 60-point games in @trailblazers history.
His 61 points are a new franchise record. pic.twitter.com/HOpw8eGj34
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 21, 2020
Hassan Whiteside was excellent for Portland as well. He finished with 17 points and 21 rebounds. What remains of the bones of Carmelo Anthony was pretty good, too. He had 14 points and nine rebounds.
The Trail Blazers beat Golden State 129-124 in overtime.