First off, what are you up to since you stopped coaching?
Well, I do a little consulting for my alma mater Vanderbilt – I go there three times a year to help there. When James Franklin was at Penn State I’d go there for a week and look around and see how I could help them too. Other than that, I’m done coaching.
When I was fired from Houston – I wish I had been there longer – but I said that would be the last time I’d work for anybody. I liked this gig, but when I went to Houston, I told John Harbaugh and Ozzie Newsome that I appreciated them everything they did for me. I told John too that if they ever needed me, he’d be the only one I’d ever go back and coach for. I coached for 44 years – John and Andy Reid were as good as you get.
Baltimore was an unbelievable organization – top to bottom. I felt the same with Pittsburgh.
Why do you not want to coach now?
When I got the call from Houston I didn’t seek out the job. They called me. I got one call over my career for a head coaching job and I got it. I am one for one!
I had a son who passed, and my wife and daughter. They all sacrificed for me and never complained. They moved three times in a row in college. When I left Baltimore for Houston I told them this was it. Now I work for my wife and daughter. My wife is good as gold. I never felt coaching was a job – I worked for some really good head coaches. I just felt like this was it. 44 years is plenty. I have one quarter of my life left and I want to make it to overtime!
How did your coaching career begin?
When I graduated from Vanderbilt the assistant coach Boots Donnelly there went on to coach at Austin Peay. I just wanted to get my Masters and go back to my high school and coach for my high school coach. But Boots told me you can always go up then down- from college to high school- but its not as easy to go from high school to college. So while I was getting my Masters he asked me to take the running backs so he can focus on being the head coach.
I coached for 16 years then at UTEP I got a call that changed my career. Charlie Bailey got a call asking about me from Texas A&M. They wanted me to go there and be their receivers coach – they were a top 10 team then. They researched me.
After that I got hired by Tampa Bay and started with Sam Wyche. He was Joe Montana’s first coach – people forget that. I worked two years with him then worked with Chan Gailey in Pittsburgh – they hired me after they lost the Super Bowl.
Why did Pittsburgh hire you?
I was there for three years. They told me they felt I was a really good communicator and teacher. Anybody I coached got better, once coach years ago told me. I always thought of myself as a teacher not a coach. I never taught a class but I taught football.
What did they have you focus on?
For me, I felt like I would fit. I always had input there with Chan. I coached good players there – Ernie Mills, Yancey Thigpen, Andre Hastings and Charles Johnson – they all could have started for other teams. But the Steelers winning tradition kept them happy – winning was more important than numbers.
Charles, Ernie, Andre – they were all leaders.
My high school coach told me that the most important things were letters, not numbers. W and L. Winning cures a lot of issues of players wanting the ball.
What are some memories there that stand out?
I love golf. I’m not good. Since I retired four years ago my golf game has gotten worse! I need a coach! But when I was in Pittsburgh Arnold Palmer used to come around and work with Pittsburgh’s trainer on his back. One day I walked in and talked to him when he was in the training room. I went up to him and told him I loved golf. He told me then that my score was irrelevant. I was never going to beat Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus or Lee Trevino. Whether I shoot a 100 or 80 it didn’t matter. You can shoot a 100 and have a great round. It was about having fun. I’ve seen guys throw their clubs in the water – they were not having fun!
When I walked into Three Rivers every day, I saw those four Super Bowl trophies. I understood what my role was and the culture there. With Bill Cowher and Andy Reid I learned how important culture was. In Pittsburgh I learned about the Steelers Way. Consistency was so important. We always knew what to expect as coaches and the players knew that from me. They understand the “Why” and when they do that, they’ll do anything for you.
Were there players over your career that you enjoyed working with most?
I enjoyed them all. I was fortunate as a coach to have had great players. In Philadelphia there was one player when I was there that had the biggest impact on the franchise – Terrell Owens. When he got there their attitude changed. People said he was difficult but he was a great player – I was never around anyone who worked as hard as he did – he and Jason Avant. He made my job easy. He was the easiest guy I coached – he wanted to be good. it was always about trust.
How did you earn that trust?
The Steelers receivers used to test me in meetings to see if I knew what I was doing. They tell me something that was intentionally wrong to see if I would agree with them. They’d ask how a guy played corner – outside-in? I’d tell them “No – inside-out”. They wanted to see if I was the real deal and tested my knowledge.
Terrell Owens trusted me. There was a game versus Denver – Champ Bailey was just beating him up. Terrell rarely said anything, but he came up to me and asked me what he needed to do. I talked to him and he caught an 80-yard touchdown afterwards. He knew then to trust me. You can’t control playcalling or the other positions – but I can control what my guys do. What they do is a reflection on me.
What happened in 1998 when the Steelers let you go?
Chan Gailey hired me – Bill just okayed it. I was Chan’s guy. Bill just told me what I was making!
When Chan left the Steelers brought in Ray Sherman. Bill just told me Ray wanted to bring his own guys in – we see that happen all the time in the NFL – like with the Steelers and Mike McCarthy now.
You know Mike well yes?
I do yes – that was a good hire! He’s been there and has had success in Dallas and Green Bay. I know a lot of coaches that worked with him too – he’s a good communicator – he fits the mold. He’s tough, hard and loves winning and understands what it takes to win in the NFL. He couldn’t be in a better spot – it’s just not easy to follow Mike Tomlin.
How do you think he approaches that offense?
He’s going to do whatever works best after he looks at his personnel. He’ll put players in a position to do what they do best. He’s multi. He looks at what you can do best and implements that. Now, Pittsburgh is expected to run the ball. He’ll understand that. He had a reputation for being pass-happy with Aaron Rodgers but if you had Aaron as a quarterback you would to!
What does it take from a guy who’s coached quarterbacks and offenses to be successful in the NFL?
I was Josh Allen’s first quarterback coach. You need leadership and toughness. The focus of the best players is getting the ball in the endzone – not putting up big numbers. You don’t have to be the best – you just have to be the most consistent. You need to do the right things. It’s about understanding that part of the job.
You see college quarterbacks today – a lot don’t come in coached well on the fundamentals. They are slinging the ball around a lot in college and putting up numbers but they aren’t working on the fundamentals. A lot are throwers, but not passers. Josh came in to the NFL as a thrower, but he worked hard and learned to be a passer and leader and understood what mattered. When Aaron started after Brett Favre he was ready – he understood the job at that point.
Do you watch the NFL today?
I don’t watch it now. I’m too busy being frustrated playing golf! I don’t even watch golf on TV. I haven’t seen an entire Super Bowl once in the last 20 years. I’ve been there and done that. I’ll follow a coach or player I was close to but that’s about it.