First off, I know you were a defensive player and coach in college at Westminster and Robert Morris, but you were coaching offense for much of your time in Pittsburgh. How did that happen?
That’s a great question. I thought the same thing when then the job was offered to me by Bill Cowher! At the time Mike Mularkey was hired by the Bills to be their coach after being the Steelers offensive coordinator. Mike took some of the Steelers assistant coaches with him.
At the time I was interning with the scouting department of the Steelers. I was working under Kevin Colbert and loved it. He was just a great guy – and I was also helping out the coaches too. When the offensive quality control job opened up, Bill Cowher told me he wanted to hire me for the position. I told him what you just said – “I’m a defensive guy!” He told me not to think about it that way. That because I was on the defensive side I could help then offense see things differently and understand things that defenses were doing.
So, I did that for three years. It was difficult for me though. The volume of offensive plays is just so much greater and I was still so new to the offense and how offenses worked. But after those three years I went back to defense and I noticed how much working on the offensive side helped me again as a defensive coach. Things just slowed down for me, seeing all of that.
Now, when I get the chance to hire someone who is offensive-minded to help with the defense we try and do that to help us see both sides. It used to be that way much more than it is now. Dick Hoak used to coach running backs and defensive backs- some special teams too. They only had seven coaches under Noll – now teams have over 20. Now, there are 10 guys in IT – there used to be just one. And lots more video guys too. It’s become more specialized with so many more coaches. Players get better quicker with that much attention. Just like when schools have better student-to-teacher ratios.
Is there a drawback to that though where coordinator and head coaching vision can get lost amongst all of the coaching?
It’s funny you say that because we talk about that a lot. Too many chefs in the kitchen is the other side of that. We talked about that and some like Bill Belichick want a smaller staff. He was adamant about that – he wanted everyone to understand his view. If you have more coaches you just have to make sure you communicate your vision well – have more meetings to talk about that. All have to be on the same page with the scheme.
You started your coaching career in Pittsburgh at Westminster and RMU. Lots of coaching influences there, like Radakovich?
Oh yeah – Radakovich was the godfather of everybody there! I was real fortunate – I grew up in Monaca which was a small, competitive town. We had four sports – football, basketball, baseball, and tennis. And tennis was definitely fourth! Everyone knew what was happening on Fridays. Bob Hunt, Mark Lyons, Alan Gwandola – those guys were great guys – fundamentally good people. You wanted to do good for them.
At Westminster, Joe Fosco and Gene Nicholson and Darwin Huey – we won NAIA Championships there. We were 42-6 during my time there. At RMU of course Joe Walton and Bad Rad were awesome. I understood football – my dad coached and reffed high school football. But I wasn’t sure if that was the same formula in college as it was in the NFL for what worked. Rad – he coached the Steel Curtain – so that showed me a lot. That was awesome to see him work with players. He used to coach the offensive line. He wouldn’t let them use their hands back then – he’d teach the wing-tip method. That was a year before the NFL changed their rules not letting linemen use their hands. He knew the rule was coming. We’d watch 16 mm film of when he played.
Joe Walton was specific – he knew the techniques. So it was good to learn from both of those guys what to look for in players and what really worked in the NFL. That was my first exposure really to the NFL.
You coached in Germany for a year too – what brought that on and what was that like?
That was awesome – it was a great experience. I wanted to be able to call my own plays. I met the head coach of the Hildesheim Invaders at a convention. I interviewed with him and he offered me the job. The next week I was in Germany! I’m still close to some of those guys – in fact one is coming to this year to see us play the Steelers!
After that year, I went back and became the recruiting coordinator at RMU under Rad. We went undefeated that season. Colbert went to school at RMU and went to give a talk there and he and I talked. Two weeks later, that’s when I got the call from him to work there. Just shows that you never know what can happen!
What was it like going there and winning a Super Bowl for your home team?
It was surreal. After we beat Denver pretty handedly in the championship game, I saw my parents afterwards at the bus. It was the only time I saw them both in tears for a good reason! The team years ago lost to the Chargers in the championship game, lost to Dallas in the Super Bowl…it was a long time since they were back. Now, here I am years later a part of it all. You can’t make it up. Now I’m coaching there – for the team I used to go and watch. It was a small staff then – I got to sit in the offensive line room with Russ Grimm which was awesome. He was a Hall of Famer and knew all about the line – from scheme and technique to how to motivate players. I learned a lot from him.
How did your knowledge of the defensive-side of things play out on the field as a coach. Any good examples?
One good one was when Whisenhunt was there as the new offensive coordinator. I worked hard to try and give him those insights on the other side of the ball. I think I helped give him some ideas and knowledge to help him look at things differently. The reverse pass we used against Cincinnati in the playoffs the year we won the Super Bowl. I talked to Wiz before then about the play. I told him we had the play in the gameplan for five weeks and hadn’t used it. I asked if we should keep it or get rid of it. He told me in the right situation that it would work, to keep it. We talked about that – what a defense would show and what the right situation would be. Well against Cincinnati we were at the right hashmark and over the 50 – where we wanted to be if we were to use it. When we did it and it worked, he looked over at me and yelled “I told you it would work!” I still joke with him that if I didn’t mention it he wouldn’t have used it!
Was that the same play you ran in the Super Bowl as well?
It was the same play but a different formation. We needed the ball on the right hashmark since Randel El was right handed.
What stands out most to you as you look at your career so far?
I reflect back now on my career and see how awesome the character and attitude of those Steelers teams were. Bettis and Kreider, Faneca, Hartings and Max Starks on the line; Heath Miller and Jerame Tuman… Ward and the receivers who helped Ben so much when he came in….Ben had so few reps as a rookie and when Tommy Maddox was hurt Ben just didn’t feel comfortable yet with everything in the system. They really helped him with that.
When I went to Arizona to coach and had Porter and Haggans there – they had that hard work and attitude they brought with them. And Troy and the DB’s – just that whole era – you can see why they won so many games. Now I see how character meant so much to winning teams. You need to have the right stuff above and below the neck to succeed in the NFL. You have to be able to process fast and have mutual respect for your coaches. You can have great ability, but you need great character too.
Is it strange still going back to play your home team and the team you won a Super Bowl with?
It is strange to play Pittsburgh still, yes! I’ve done it a lot now, including in the Super Bowl when I cached with Arizona. I’m a competitor in everything I do – whether it’s football or cards. But it’s definitely weird still. I have lots of friends still in Western PA – they all still bleed Black and Gold. I used to be one of those guys! You’d go to church in Monaca and see people in Steelers jerseys. It’s a special place and I love that about it. Indianapolis is similar – it’s parallel to that. A small town feel that loved their sports teams.
Lastly, how has the game changed over the course of your coaching career -what have you noticed most?
Height, weight and speed are the biggest changes. Not much more, to be honest. Players still have to work hard, listen and implement what they are told. That’s the same as 30 years ago. If you help them, they appreciate it and respect you. If you don’t, they’ll look for help somewhere else.
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