NFL

Report: Mike Munchak has Lingering Interest for Return to Steelers

Published

2 years ago

May 20, 2022

Mike Munchak Official Team Headshot -- STEELERS.COM

When Pro Football Hall of Fame lineman and former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak joined the Cook and Joe Show on 93.7 The Fan Friday, he was candid about his feelings to the organization and a potential return to Mike Tomlin’s coaching staff.

“That’s one of those things I don’t really want to talk about,” Munchak said to Ron Cook and Joe Starkey Friday. “I was more at the time, trying to stay in Denver, out West. It’s something we never really discussed because, as much as I loved Coach (Mike) Tomlin, there is no better head coach in football as a player to work for or as a coach to work for. I learned so much from him and the Rooney’s and the way they run their organization. For me that was a great learning experience. I learned a lot from my years there.”

After his three-year stint as the Titans’ head coach in 2011-2013, Munchak became the Steelers’ offensive line coach from 2014-2018. During those years the Steelers had ten Pro Bowl seasons from offensive linemen between Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro and Alejandro Villanueva and was one of the best offensive lines in the NFL for most of those seasons.

When Munchak left the Steelers after the 2018 season, his motives for leaving were unresolved for being either more about getting away from the organization or having personal reasons to join the Broncos’ coaching staff.

“At the time I was trying to stay out West,” Munchak said. “It was not something I was considering at the time when they may or may not have had an opening. I was 100% focused at trying to stay out in this part of the country. It didn’t quite work out this year for that to happen.”

Between 12 years as a player and 28 years as a coach, Munchak has spent more than half of his life in the NFL as he’s 62 years old.

“I love the game too much,” Munchak said on 93.7 The Fan. “I’d love to continue to work, especially offensive line coaches. It’s something I love doing, I love teaching. I love being around the players whether they be teenagers or in their twenties or thirties. It’s something I love doing, so it’s something I would like to continue doing.”

The Steelers hired former Panthers offensive line coach Pat Meyer as their new offensive line coach in Feb. 2022, which didn’t allow for Munchak to take the vacancy left by Adrian Klemm’s departure for Oregon towards the end of the 2021 season.

“Hopefully if the right opportunity comes up this year or next year, whenever, I would continue to coach. I’ve been blessed to always have a job, so much is about the opportunity, the fit, the timing. The timing unfortunately wasn’t great for what was going on in Denver (the last few months). My family is here. Having the opportunity to work in the same city that your family is in is a rare opportunity. I was hoping to keep that going.”

Munchak appears interested in continuing his coaching career, and it sounds like he’s not closed off from the idea of returning to the Steelers someday. That won’t be this year, but it appears any speculation that Munchak might have ill feelings towards the organization have lost credibility.