The Steelers’ coaching staff under Mike Tomlin used to be dotted with name assistants like Bruce Arians, Dick LeBeau and Mike Munchak.
Now it’s populated by comparative no-names at picayune salaries. It’s the lowest-paid coaching staff in the NFL.
The offensive coordinator’s job went from Arians to Todd Haley to Randy Fichtner to Matt Canada. Each was a decline in pedigree and performance.
The offensive line job went from Munchak to his assistant to the assistant’s assistant to the assistant’s assistant’s assistant. That’s not a coaching tree, it’s a human centipede.
When Kevin Colbert retires after the upcoming draft, the GM’s job will likely go to Brandon Hunt, the team’s pro scouting coordinator. He has no resume beyond the Steelers save three years as a scout with Houston. He interned with the Steelers straight out of IUP.
Most jobs are filled in-house and usually appear to be a step down. Things don’t fall apart, but they don’t get better. (Except on the offensive line: That fell apart.)
Tomlin is the head coach.
He’s also the de facto defensive coordinator, usurping even the legendary LeBeau’s decision-making near the end of LeBeau’s tenure. He did the same to just-retired Keith Butler.
Tomlin has final say on personnel.
His staff keeps getting cheaper and shakier.
A weak staff means Tomlin is always the smartest guy in the room. It seems calculated.
It’s all Tomlin, all the time. He’s a megalomaniac.
Are the Steelers doing well enough to justify that?
