Munchak building strong resume
who should be featured on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.” “They make everything go.”
Actually, that’s Munchak, arguably the NFL’s best offensive line coach.
“Mike does an awesome job,” Tomlin has said. “He needs no endorsement from me.”
Munchak has a gold jacket from his 12-year, Hall of Fame career as a guard with the Houston Oilers. That gave him instant credibility when he moved into coaching. But there is so much more to him. He is a teacher, first and foremost. He is into relationships and has learned who needs to be pushed hard and who needs a softer touch. He cares deeply about his guys, not just starters Al Villanueva, Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro and Marcus Gilbert, but their backups.
“When we’re in the room, I look at them like family. Like I talk to my daughters,” Munchak said.
“Hopefully, each guy I deal with, they feel, ‘Hey, you know what? You made me better. You put me in the best spot to be successful.’ If I can’t do that for them, it doesn’t matter what I have [in the closet]. I might have achieved something as a player, but it doesn’t mean I can coach worth a lick.”
The starting five linemen have been with Munchak since he joined Tomlin’s staff in 2014. The importance of that continuity can’t be overstated.
“It’s not a different system, not different technique,” Munchak said. “Between us, we can grow together. They’ve been great to me. Their expectations are high. They’re as mad at themselves as anybody when they don’t play well. They like that pressure. They handle it well.
“I just hope I’ve been helpful to them.”
The linemen swear by Munchak. He has helped to make each a wealthy man. The Steelers have invested $158.5 million in the starting five.
“Munch doesn’t try to box everybody in,” Foster said. “He teaches you his philosophy on everything, but, at the same time, he recognizes that I can’t do what Pounce does, Al can’t do what Gil does, Dave can’t do what I do. It’s all intertwined. He’s making a hell of a sweatshirt with us. He’s knitting everybody together. It works for him…
“He understands the game more than somebody who was taught it. He knows that if you berate a player, you can lose him in a sense. Does he raise his voice? Absolutely. But he does it in such a positive, mental way. He can pull the most out of you. He’s been around this league for over 30 years. There’s a respect factor there. We want to play well for him.”
Thestandard is the standard, right?
Gilbert missed nine games lastseason because of injuries and a suspension. Chris Hubbard stepped in and ended up earning a five-year, $36.5million contract as a freeagent with the Cleveland Browns. De Castro missed twogames this season and was replaced by B.J. Finney. Gilbert has missed three games and is being replaced by Matt Feiler. The line continued to roll. The offense rolled. The Steelers are rolling. That’s coaching.
It goes back to relationships, Munchak said.
“Myjob is to see how far I can push each guy. To me, I thinky ou get more across by being upfront with them, being honest with them, being consistent with them. They knowhow bad I want it for them. They know I’m here to get the best out of them. I have no other ulterior motive tobe here other than to make them better. We’re all in this together. I think they respondto that. People in general respond to that.”
The Steelers were lucky to get Munchak. He was fired by the Tennessee Titans after the2013 season, his third as their head coach. His record wasa dreary 22-26, but he probably could have stayed forat least another year if he hadbeen willing to fire some assistants.He interviewed forthe head job at Penn State —his alma mater — but lost outto James Franklin because the school liked Franklin’s recruiting background and because it didn’t want to go back to someone with ties tothe Paterno Era.
It all worked out just fine, Munchak said.
“I knew Pittsburgh was a place I’d love to be just from competing against Pittsburgh for years as a player in the same division. I always respected what they accomplished. Meeting coach Tomlin, meeting the Rooney family, being from [Scranton] Pennsylvania, I felt at home when I came to visit and interview for the job. I knew they would be good for a long time. I knew Ben had a bunch of years left in him. If you have a good quarterback, you can always win it. We’ve got a real good one. I knew that was a big plus. To be a part of it is exciting for me.”
The Steelers have been lucky to keep Munchak this long.The Arizona Cardinals wanted to interview him for their head job after last season, but he withdrew from consideration for personal reasons.He surely will be on the short list of candidates for the next batch of NFL head jobs that open.
“Ithink I’m prepared for the opportunity,” Munchak said. “It’s just a matter of it being in the right place at the righttime and someone feeling like, ‘Hey, this guy would be a good fit for us.’”
Munchak has more important concerns at the moment than his next job. He has to get his linemen ready to blocka solid Carolina defensel ed by All-Pro line backer Luke Kuechly Thursdaynight at Heinz Field.
“Idon’t ever think past what I’m doing now,” Munchak said. “I love what I’m doing. I like preparing …
“When you’re in an organization like this, I don’t think there are any better. I don’t know why you would wantto go anywhere else. For me, it’s a good fit.
“Ilook forward to seeing where this thing ends.” Sodo his linemen. “None of us want to let him down, ”Foster said. “We wantto be a part of the group that gets him a ring.”
Itwould be Munchak’s first in the pros.
Say this about relationships:
They can provide powerful motivation.