Former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Munchak was reportedly in Pittsburgh on Friday to interview for the Steelers offensive line coach position and you aren’t likely to find many people that are disappointed to hear that.
Munchak, who was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001 for his 12 years of play at guard for the Houston Oilers, also has a very impressive resume when it comes to coaching offensive linemen.
Prior to becoming the Titans head coach in 2011, Munchak coached the franchises offensive line for 14 years. During that span, four of his linemen; Bruce Matthews, Brad Hopkins, Kevin Mawae and Michael Roos, totaled 10 Pro Bowl invites and his offensive lines were responsible for five different running backs rushing for 1,000 yards in a season an NFL-high 12 times. Those four running backs were of course Eddie George, Chris Brown, Travis Henry, Lendale White and Chris Johnson.
As far as George goes, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell has been compared to him quite a bit and that dates back to his time at Michigan State. Like George, Bell has good height and is a very patient runner. From 1997-2003, George rushed for 8641 yards on 2398 carries and 56 touchdowns behind offensive lines coached by Munchak.
If there were a downside to hiring Munchak, it would be that he might be considered a candidate for another head coaching job as early as next season. In reality, he should at least be with the Steelers two years should they ultimately be able to hire him.
Imagine what Munchak could do for Maurkice Pouncey, Kelvin Beachum, David DeCastro, Marcus Gilbert and Mike Adams. Munchak is regarded as a no nonsense coach that is a stickler for the details, especially when it comes to footwork. He knows the inside and outside zone schemes, and the Steelers would be very lucky to land him. Keep your fingers crossed that head coach Mike Tomlin offers Munchak the job and he accepts it.
