Mike Munchak new OL coach

By Ed Bouchette / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Mike Munchak, who grew up in Scranton, Pa., a Steelers fan before he went to Penn State and became a Pro Football Hall of Fame guard, is the new Steelers offensive line coach.

Munchak accepted Mike Tomlin's offer to become his fourth offensive line coach, weeks after he was fired as head coach of the Tennessee Titans. Tomlin interviewed Munchak last week to replace Jack Bicknell Jr., who was fired after one season.

Munchak, 53, spent the past three seasons as head coach of the Titans, who defeated the Steelers in the 2013 season opener at Heinz Field. Before that, he coached the Titans offensive line for 14 seasons after a 12-year career as a guard for the Houston Oilers that landed him in the Hall of Fame as part of the same 2001 class with Lynn Swann.

During his tenure as line coach of the Titans, Munchak taught the zone blocking scheme the Steelers want to use but abandoned after their loss to Tennessee.


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/01/22/Steelers-hire-Munchak-to-coach-offensive-line/stories/201401220137#ixzz2rFbOfHij

I'm really excited about this hire. We've finally got some decent talent on the line, and Munchak could be the guy to get them to figure out what the hell they're supposed to be doing.

The more I'm reading about Munchak, the more I am starting to like him...we'll see.

I really like this pickup. Munchak not only is a HOF o-lineman (which adds credibility from the players perspective), but he coached the o-line for 14 years with great success. More than anything, he should be able to help the current linemen reach their potential.

What can Munchak do to develop the tackles? Obviously, Gilbert and Adams are top of mind because they represented the weakest links in this group. But don't forget Beachum and his potential.

Gilbert - He seemed to regress from the prior year. His pass protection was the worst on the team and he often looked confused or just plain slow to react (which is often a sign of uncertainty). Gilbert was on a good trajectory prior to last season, but 2013 appeared to be a step backward in his progression. Getting a good teacher/mentor as a coach should help get him back on a productive path.

Adams - We all saw what happened to Adams at the beginning of last season, but I'm not going to blame Bicknell for his poor development. Adams was knifed up during the summer and I'm sure that impacted his ability to be ready for the season. If anything, I liked what Bicknell did with Adams when it was apparent he wasn't ready to play. He sat the kid for a few games, then brought him in as an extra TE. I viewed this as less a demotion as it was a way to get the guy engaged and sharpen his skills. Watch replays of the Buffalo game and you'll see a TD run by Bell where Adams flat out mauls a defender that ends with him not only pancaking his opponent, but landing on top of the guy in the endzone. Of course run blocking is his best skill, but can Munchak help Adams reach his potential as a pass blocker at the tackle position? Remember Adams was the Steelers rookie of the year for the 2012 season, so hold off on any talks of this guy being a bust until Munchak has some time with him.

Beachum - Why was everyone surprised this guy played well at left tackle? Probably because he was a seventh round draft choice and was considered "small" and "weak" for a left tackle in the NFL. But let's step back and forget about the scouting reports for a minute. He was a multi-year starter at left tackle at SMU. At SMU, Beachum did well as a pass blocker. That's a good thing, because they played a more wide-open offense. But how did he do as a run blocker? Well, that's hard to say because they didn't line up and run right at opponents and didn't run off left tackle much at that. Then he had a mediocre bench press at the combine. So now the guy is a weakling that can't run block? Don't get me wrong, he isn't the best run blocker the Steelers have on that line. However, it shouldn't be a shock that he could play left tackle. Saying Beachum isn't big enough is like saying Drew Brees is too short ... in some cases it doesn't matter.

I'm very interested in what he can do working with the interior linemen:

Pouncey - Yes he has had some injury problems that limited his play and ruined his season last year. Even though he's a Pro Bowler when healthy, having Munchak in there with a focus on improved technique, blocking schemes, line adjustments, etc could push Pouncey into an elite class of centers.

DeCastro - There were bits of articles near the end of the season that hinted the idea that DeCastro was playing at or near a Pro Bowl caliber level. That's bull. I love the abilities this guy brings and think his potential could some day land him in the Pro Bowl. But having a couple good games this year isn't the same as being a Pro Bowler. Given some solid coaching, DeCastro could transform from "potential" to "stud" and I think this next season will show if he can take that step (being year 3, having a solid coach and knock on wood, staying healthy).

Foster - I still think of this guy as the "serviceable backup", probably because he spent the first few years in that role. Also, probably because I haven't seen him become the mauler at the point of attack. But this past year he was decent in pass protection. Where I see Foster's potential is dominating in the run game because of his size and strength. Can he dominate the guy across from him and get to the second level when he needs to? He's not a DeCastro or Pouncey that will pull and hit defenders outside the tackle. That's just not his skill set. He's an inside bulldozer and can serve this team well by becoming a dominate inside bulldozer.

For all the grief Kevin Cobert receives from Steelers fans, he landed good talent on that offensive line. But you need a good coach to develop that talent and Tomlin just got the right man for the job.

OK, Kirk got me fired up. I don't recall ever getting excited about the hiring of an O-line coach, but I can honestly say that I'm excited about Munchak. If the line doesn't improve noticeably over the next year, it won't be because of coaching.

Wallace108 wrote:

If the line doesn't improve noticeably over the next year, it won't be because of coaching.

Bingo. This o-line should become a strength to the team next year. The issues they have aren't a lack of talent, that's for sure. Add some solid coaching and see if these guys want to dig deep to hit their full potential. Defense is where the real issues sit, but that's a topic for another thread.

Quote :

New Steelers offensive line coach Munchak is perfect tutor

By Ray Fittipaldo / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Justin Hartwig was the starting center in Super Bowl XLIII when the Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals to claim their sixth Lombardi Trophy. The man most responsible for Hartwig earning that ring at the end of his career is the person who drafted him in the sixth round of the 2002 draft when he was a little-known tackle at the University of Kansas.

New Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak drafted Hartwig when he worked for the Tennessee Titans and converted him to center. Despite never playing the position previously, Hartwig became Tennessee's starter for three seasons and played eight NFL seasons before retiring in 2010.

"He was a great mentor and a great friend," Hartwig said. "I think the Steelers hit a grand slam home run in getting him. If I was drafted into another system, I don't know if I would have lasted in the NFL. He had patience with me, and he instilled confidence in me. I owe my NFL success to him."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/02/04/New-Steelers-offensive-line-coach-Munchak-is-perfect-tutor/stories/201402040094#ixzz2sQZLSFos