New York Giants add LSU ‘secret weapon’ to offensive coaching staff

New York Giants, Joe Judge
Oct 4, 2020; Inglewood, California, USA; New York Giants head coach Joe Judge on the sidelines during the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants have added former Samford and LSU offensive assistant Russ Callaway to their offensive coaching staff, per Matt Zenitz, of AI.com.

Callaway, who was plucked from Samford to take his talents to LSU, helped devise an air raid system in the FCS, breaking numerous records thanks to his contributions. With the Giants trying to take a more downfield-oriented approach to their unit, adding a coach like Callaway should go a long way, especially since Jason Garrett seems stuck in his ways as a West Coast style, ground, and pound system.

Of course, that could change drastically with more weapons added, and it is fair to give Garrett a bit of slack before throwing him under the bus. However, his approach last season was vastly limited, and the Giants are doing what they need to in hopes of developing a more productive scheme.

Most are noting the loss of Callaway as “significant for the LSU staff, who was promoted by Ed Orgeron to senior offensive analyst, giving him more on-field duties last season. This was a perfect time for the Giants to snag him, especially with Joe Judge having close ties to Alabama and working with Callaway years ago.

“He is tremendous,” Orgeron told Off the Bench over the summer in 2020. “I think Russ is going to be a great coach in college football. He already proved himself at Samford and had one of the best offenses in the country.

What kind of experience does Callaway bring to the New York Giants?

Well, luckily for Big Blue, they might be looking at their next offensive coordinator if all goes to plan. Callaway has experience calling plays, serving as an OC and quarterbacks coach at Samford, who was only hired by LSU in 2020. He spent five years as the OC for Samford, winning back-to-back National Championships at Alabama when he was an assistant defensive coordinator for Kirby Smart with the linebackers.

The Giants have been proactive in finding players who can feature at multiple positions and serve a dynamic role, and clearly, that is also translating to the coaching staff. They are investing far more in good coaching to help build this team, which is something the Giants have failed to do in the past.