First off, can you let us know what you’re up to now?
Right now I’m consulting. In the Spring I work with the UFL – I go to camps and evaluate players – the offensive linemen. I try to help them get placed in the NFL. Especially during training camp, NFL teams would often rather have an experienced lineman in camp than a college free agent that’s still green.
Then afterwards I worked for Boise State – I go to camp and help them evaluate their offensive linemen and do some advanced scouting of their opponents’ front sevens and give them ideas on run schemes. Most of it is remote – with the multiple surgeries I’ve had on my spine that’s been beneficial to me.
Were those from your playing days?
A little of everything really. It’s been two straight years of surgeries. But I’m working through it and trying to get better.
Who have been you big coaching influences/mentors? And how so?
The one that’s had the biggest impact on me is Andy Reid – he was my offensive line coach in college. I always knew I wanted to coach but he made me realize that kind if coach I wanted to be. He was very detail-oriented and firm but direct, and I admired that. That’s who he was.
In college and the NFL every coach has had some type of influence in me – from organizational skills to how to lead a room, to managing the pulse of a team. That’s something Mike Tomlin and Dick Jauron were very good at.
You were in camp in Pittsburgh in 1989 before a concussion caused you to be released. What was that experience like – any mentors and fun experiences from that time to share?
I was there when Coach Blankenship and Chuck Noll were there. That was Chuck’s last season. Watching how calm he was as a coach and how he taught – it was like being in a coaching clinic.
I remember my first day off camp I got into a fight with a rookie lineman. The vets- Tunch Ilkin and Craig Wolfley ran over and said “There you go!”
Why did you decide to go to Pittsburgh and coach – what made you decide to coach there?
I was in Buffalo coaching with Dick Jauron and we were all let go midseason. My son was a Senior in high school- I contemplated then taking the rest of the year off and watching him play. But then I got a call from a 412 number – I didn’t know anyone from there. When I answered it was Mike Tomlin – he wanted to know if I could come in soon for an interview. I told him I could be there the next day. We interviewed for the whole day – it was a long process. But I got the offer afterwards and it was a terrific three years in the organization.
What did he ask of you – and what did he want you to focus on there? Any changes they wanted you to make?
He wanted to understand how I presented myself. What my goals and structures were – what I look for in offensive linemen and an offensive system. He wanted to understand how I taught and to make sure we were on the same page in terms of character.
The first half of the interview was just us talking about family. About my sons’ football careers – things like that. That was the most comfortable part – he made you feel at home. Then we talked about football and that as the easy part. That came natural to us – we were both football coaches.
What was it like following Larry Zierlein a second time – he was in Buffalo when you were there too right?
He was in Arizona when I was there too yes! I was following him around! We joke a lot about that – he’s a good dude and a good friend. We may teach technique differently and have different styles, but it was helpful that the guys I was working with had some familiarity with him because I knew his style. He is a great dude and coach.
What as a line coach do you focus on most – what is the tie between technique you teach and scheme they run?
The schemes need to fit the skills of the players. We ran a gap scheme – we ran a power run game and spent a lot of time practicing footwork and pulling and working on strength and physicality. We prided ourselves on being physical. If you have a smaller line you’d work on zone schemes more and be on the sleds less.
Smart coaches adapt to their players. If you’re athletic but undersized you play zone. We had big, physical guys like Max Starks, Willie Colon and Chris Kemoeatu. They had the skillset to be physical an adapted to the gap scheme.
You were there when they drafted Maurkice Pouncey – what was it like working with him and the rest of that line?
He was a special player and person. He took over the room early. It was evident early on that he was a leader and was incredibly smart – he picked up on things quickly. He had a big heart and passion – he fought every day. The players responded to that. It didn’t matter that he was a rookie – they followed him.
We were going to start him at guard. We thought of that but it was evident early on that he was heads above every other center there at the time. We made the decision to bite the bullet and start him as a rookie at center and he handled it well and turned into what should be a Hall of Fame player.
You helped get the team to the Super Bowl in 2010 despite losing Pouncey and both starting tackles. How do you work through those losses and keep continuity?
You just keep pushing. We lost Willie Colon before camp, and Max Starks got hurt in the first half of our first game and was out for the year. So we lost both starting tackles before halftime of the first game.
We signed Flozell Adams who was a veteran lineman that played in Dallas, and signed a street free agent that played in Buffalo – Jonathan Scott – to be our starting tackles.
Then we lost Maurice Pouncey in the AFC Championship game and had to start Doug Legursky in the Super Bowl. Doug was one of my favorite players- he was a self-made college free agent who ended up starting in a Super Bowl and handled himself well.
In Pittsburgh they say the standard is the standard, and I absolutely believe in that. The players did too.
What’s the most important thing for offensive line success as a whole?
You need to have great unity – you need to believe in each other. The room has to get along and communicate well. You have to fight for each other and the quarterback. The offensive line room was special in Pittsburgh – it was fun being around all of them.
How did you instill that unity and help foster that in the room?
You have to try and encourage it but not do it yourself. You don’t set up the Thursday player dinners where they all eat and watch film together – but you can talk to them about what to look for when they are watching the film. If we’re playing Baltimore, to focus on what they do on first and second downs. We don’t have much interaction with them when they are off the field. They are grown men and acted that way.
The team also policed itself. It’s hard describing it if you’re not there. But it didn’t take coaches to get on players who weren’t doing what they were supposed to do – other players would get to them first. And if a player had an off-field problem or injury, the other guys stood up for them. It was a family atmosphere. It was the best atmosphere of any of the teams I was on and I’ve been on a number of teams.
What memories stand out most of your time there?
Winning the AFC Championship and seeing the fans and players go crazy. And off the field, seeing my son win two state championships while we lived in the city.
I left Pittsburgh after three years to take the UTEP head coaching job. People ask me if I regret that decision. I don’t believe in regretting choices – you can’t look back. But I can tell you I would have been happy if I stayed.
I’m proud of all of my players – In still stay in touch with many of them and am proud of what they all do now off the field. They still pull for each other. That’s what it’s all about.
What’s the next step for you?
I’m enjoying the consulting work. It’s what I want to do – I enjoy the individual training. Some of the guys I worked with include Patrick Ricard and some rookie NFL players recently- I work with players more on the mental than physical part.
When I retire I want to set up a classroom training program where I get three or four guys ready for the NFL. I enjoy being around the players – I want to keep a low concentration on the number of individuals I train at one time. I’m not looking at it as a money-making thing. I want to help guys develop into NFL players.
Lastly, aside from football, what makes you tick?
My family. My players. That’s what makes me tick. I coach with passion and took out seriously every day. If you do that players will do anything for you.