So finding good position coaches is often best done through ex players, and some even can rise above to a coordinator or even head coach level…
Here are some of the ExSteelers candidates I wouldn’t mind seeing at some of our spots that could use an upgrade
Wr coach… I’m not a fan of Hilliard right now. Id love to see him replaced… ex Steelers have several smart options with coaching experience already out there…
My top option currently is employed by the lions but might not be for long…
1. Antwaan randel El, who has the benefit of both a wr and qb perspective and a great grasp of offense
2. Hines ward… guy is coaching high school right now but spent some time learning the ropes with the jets a few years back… probably the smartest wr we have had and understands routes and blocking so well
3.Jericho Cotchery… a great head on his shoulders and some coaching experience as a assistant wr coach
The second spot is lb coach, which butler assisted with… adding a third could be overkill or necessary with how specialized it can be and how our ilbs haven’t developed as well as they should have yet…..
the Steelers have a glut of smart ex lbs… three in particular that id like to see given a chance are
1. james farrior… he was smart and skilled. Potsie is a dlb prodigy that called his defense he also transitioned from the older more traditional sideline to sideline ilb to the half safety type tomlin uses so he has multiple perspectives
2. Levon Kirkland… he coaches high school but also was one of the smarter physical specimens we have had at ilb… he definitely can teach people the ins and outs of blowing up a run game
If you were going olb…
3. Jason Gildon. The guy got a lot of crap but he knew how to play olb and he wasn’t a temperamental lunkhead like many of our stars…
Next is the hole at DB coaches austin will leave unless he opts to continue that responsibility too…
I’d focus heavily on ex safeties to really improve that position
Obviously the top pick is too unlikely.. thats Troy… he was extremely smart and can encourage instinctive play that most coaches shun… but that guy hates tge spotlight and won’t actually take it
So otherwise:
1. Brent Alexander… yeah the guy was molasses on the field, but his intelligence and understanding of the position was second to none, which was how he had as long of a career as he did… he coaches high school football right now.. I was certain he was going to be a DC after his career was over… he should definitely get a shot if he was interested
2. The return of Darren Perry… db coach here from 04-06… had a long stint with the packers as safety coach end a couple years back… really smart guy
3 Rod Woodson… if you were more worried about cb Woodson would be the logical available ex Steelers player with experience coaching dbs.
** now if Chicago lets Deshea Townsend go, he would jump up pretty high on this list
Oline assistant.. lets be real… they are promoting from within here again… which is ashame because in my ranking of assistant coach heirarcy of importance OL coach is higher than OC and just behind DC… but a good assistant can help too..
There are lots of ex Steelers olinemen who could do well as a position coach
Among the bigger names are
1. Alan Faneca, though I doubt he would do it… he just took a high school coaching position last year… he has experience under cowhers old schemes that were more run heavy
2. Ramon Foster… he was an extremely smart guy and got by on technique more than talent i always felt he was slotted for a coaching job after he retired. The most likely option if we went ex Steelers
3. Dermonti Dawson. a decade ago he tried to get into scouting for the Steelers, left that for a intern coaching gig with Cinci, then bailed on the nfl for more lucrative sales jobs that has since fallen through… maybe he is looking to get back in the nfl… he would tie in erhardt blocking principles we have long abandoned
4 Jeff Hartings… current high school head coach.. of the past four Steelers all pro centers, he was the least talented and got by on superior technique … definitely has coaching in his future
Offensive assistant…
These are guys we should at least get a look at as contributors to the offensive scheme
1. Charlie batch…. Like seriously how is he not coaching already?
2. Heath miller… he must not want to coach because he would be one of those tes who could really move up the coaching tree if he wanted to
3. Matt Spaeth… underrated by Steelers fans, the guy was a monster at blocking from the TE position… a trait few te coaches teach well anymore… we desperately need that with the new young TEs
4. John Kuhn… yeah he made his bones as a packer, but hecstarted out a steeler. A true leader and extremely intelligent guy… currently i think he has a radio show… this guy had OC type potential that simply has been ignored because fullbacks don’t always get a position coach opportunity because tge position is ignored in the current nfl
Here are some of the ExSteelers candidates I wouldn’t mind seeing at some of our spots that could use an upgrade
Wr coach… I’m not a fan of Hilliard right now. Id love to see him replaced… ex Steelers have several smart options with coaching experience already out there…
My top option currently is employed by the lions but might not be for long…
1. Antwaan randel El, who has the benefit of both a wr and qb perspective and a great grasp of offense
2. Hines ward… guy is coaching high school right now but spent some time learning the ropes with the jets a few years back… probably the smartest wr we have had and understands routes and blocking so well
3.Jericho Cotchery… a great head on his shoulders and some coaching experience as a assistant wr coach
The second spot is lb coach, which butler assisted with… adding a third could be overkill or necessary with how specialized it can be and how our ilbs haven’t developed as well as they should have yet…..
the Steelers have a glut of smart ex lbs… three in particular that id like to see given a chance are
1. james farrior… he was smart and skilled. Potsie is a dlb prodigy that called his defense he also transitioned from the older more traditional sideline to sideline ilb to the half safety type tomlin uses so he has multiple perspectives
2. Levon Kirkland… he coaches high school but also was one of the smarter physical specimens we have had at ilb… he definitely can teach people the ins and outs of blowing up a run game
If you were going olb…
3. Jason Gildon. The guy got a lot of crap but he knew how to play olb and he wasn’t a temperamental lunkhead like many of our stars…
Next is the hole at DB coaches austin will leave unless he opts to continue that responsibility too…
I’d focus heavily on ex safeties to really improve that position
Obviously the top pick is too unlikely.. thats Troy… he was extremely smart and can encourage instinctive play that most coaches shun… but that guy hates tge spotlight and won’t actually take it
So otherwise:
1. Brent Alexander… yeah the guy was molasses on the field, but his intelligence and understanding of the position was second to none, which was how he had as long of a career as he did… he coaches high school football right now.. I was certain he was going to be a DC after his career was over… he should definitely get a shot if he was interested
2. The return of Darren Perry… db coach here from 04-06… had a long stint with the packers as safety coach end a couple years back… really smart guy
3 Rod Woodson… if you were more worried about cb Woodson would be the logical available ex Steelers player with experience coaching dbs.
** now if Chicago lets Deshea Townsend go, he would jump up pretty high on this list
Oline assistant.. lets be real… they are promoting from within here again… which is ashame because in my ranking of assistant coach heirarcy of importance OL coach is higher than OC and just behind DC… but a good assistant can help too..
There are lots of ex Steelers olinemen who could do well as a position coach
Among the bigger names are
1. Alan Faneca, though I doubt he would do it… he just took a high school coaching position last year… he has experience under cowhers old schemes that were more run heavy
2. Ramon Foster… he was an extremely smart guy and got by on technique more than talent i always felt he was slotted for a coaching job after he retired. The most likely option if we went ex Steelers
3. Dermonti Dawson. a decade ago he tried to get into scouting for the Steelers, left that for a intern coaching gig with Cinci, then bailed on the nfl for more lucrative sales jobs that has since fallen through… maybe he is looking to get back in the nfl… he would tie in erhardt blocking principles we have long abandoned
4 Jeff Hartings… current high school head coach.. of the past four Steelers all pro centers, he was the least talented and got by on superior technique … definitely has coaching in his future
Offensive assistant…
These are guys we should at least get a look at as contributors to the offensive scheme
1. Charlie batch…. Like seriously how is he not coaching already?
2. Heath miller… he must not want to coach because he would be one of those tes who could really move up the coaching tree if he wanted to
3. Matt Spaeth… underrated by Steelers fans, the guy was a monster at blocking from the TE position… a trait few te coaches teach well anymore… we desperately need that with the new young TEs
4. John Kuhn… yeah he made his bones as a packer, but hecstarted out a steeler. A true leader and extremely intelligent guy… currently i think he has a radio show… this guy had OC type potential that simply has been ignored because fullbacks don’t always get a position coach opportunity because tge position is ignored in the current nfl