After 19 years of Mike Tomlin, it’s fair to say Mike McCarthy and his Steelers coaching staff are doing things their own way. Having largely hired coaches with whom he has previously worked, McCarthy has surrounded himself with genuine collaborators. The byproduct, at least to those observing so far, is a more cohesive whole than they’re used to.
“I’ve been very impressed with this entire coaching staff”, Steelers beat writer Ray Fittipaldo said recently on 93.7 The Fan. “With what the running backs coach said this week, what the receivers coach said this week. They are very much on the same page with McCarthy. And, listen, they have to be. It’s a very intricate and detailed offense, and those guys have got to be on their toes, and they’ve got to know what they’re doing. It certainly seems like they do”.
The former would be Ramon Chinyoung Sr., who came with McCarthy to the Steelers from Dallas’ coaching staff. Having previously worked with the offensive line, he is now at home in the running back room. And to hear him talk, he appears to be one of McCarthy’s core acolytes.
Recently, he talked about the Steelers’ coaching staff getting back to the origin, the root, of Mike McCarthy. Having had extended tenures in Green Bay and Dallas, it’s as if he wants to reset in Pittsburgh and apply everything he’s learned over the decades in a concentrated manner.
The new Steelers wide receivers coach is Adam Henry. He recently praised rookie WR Germie Bernard, particularly in regard to his readiness and professionalism. Roman Wilson has also reportedly had a strong offseason, and the third-year receiver has sung the praises of the coaching staff as well.
Arguably the two biggest hires Mike McCarthy made in assembling his Steelers coaching staff, though, were DC Patrick Graham and OL coach James Campen. The offense runs through the line, and McCarthy worked very closely with Campen in Green Bay. In Graham, he has a new voice to lead an old defense, marrying tradition with evolution.
Of course, it’s probably easy for the Steelers’ coaches to impress in May and June. It’s not like they’re doing all that much upon which it would make sense to stake their reputation. Right now, they’re just teaching the scheme and honing techniques, but at least that looks good.
One thing I will note of this coaching staff talk is that I’m hearing the Steelers openly discuss purpose more. There are reasons behind why they do things one way or another, and they’re making that clear. Some of the players, like Roman Wilson, have talked about that. Chinyoung discussed it regarding Mike McCarthy’s vision and how important that is to player execution. So if educating with purpose is what has everybody impressed so far, then I have to say I agree.