The Pittsburgh Steelers hired wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni this offseason as part of their offensive revamp, and Azzanni is already winning over the room. Rookie receiver Roman Wilson said earlier this offseason that Azzanni has a “no bullshit” coaching style, and after OTAs on Thursday, third-year wideout Calvin Austin III talked about Azzanni, and said that he doesn’t allow mediocrity in the room.
“He don’t play that. He’s that coach that you know, mediocrity and him don’t really mesh,” Austin said via Steelers.com. “So if you’re going to try to just come in and cruise on through, nah, you can’t, that ain’t gonna happen. It’s gonna be a clash because he’s going to get the best out of you.”
He compared Azzanni to Mike Norvell, his head coach at Memphis, with the way Norvell “wanted perfection every single day.” In turn, Austin said that makes the players hold themselves to a higher standard and make the room better as a whole. Setting that standard is key, and it’s something Azzanni is clearly doing and enforcing.
Azzanni came to Pittsburgh with the reputation as a hard-nosed, no-nonsense coach and he’s living up to it. It’s what the Steelers need in their wide receiver room, where far too often in the past few years, receivers have coasted and not given 100% on every play. That’s not going to happen under Azzanni, and it’s only going to raise the ceiling for how good the receiver room can be, even without a clear-cut No. 2 option on the roster (yet) opposite George Pickens.
Austin also talked about the changes to the offense under Arthur Smith and how Smith wants to utilize all his weapons. Azzanni’s coaching style will make sure guys like Austin are ready for their moment when their number is called. By not letting guys coast and setting the standard of going 100% on every down, it’ll ensure that the receivers hold themselves to that standard and get them prepared for any situation.
It sounds as if players are taking to Azzanni’s style too, which is a positive. Sometimes players don’t love the no-nonsense, tough love that Azzanni provides, but by all accounts, this receiver room is eating it up and taking to his style. That’s important, and as the offseason rolls on and the season approaches, it sure sounds as if Pittsburgh’s receivers will be prepared for whatever challenge is in front of them.
