ShowtimeSBMVP |
01-29-2013 05:03 PM |
Mike Tomlin Gets it.
Steelers hire new offensive line coach
Posted by Josh Alper on January 29, 2013, 6:00 PM EST
The Steelers have found their replacement for Sean Kugler, who ditched the offensive line coach job to take the top job at UTEP.
The team announced that Jack Bicknell Jr. will replace Kugler. Bicknell coached the Chiefs offensive line last season and spent the previous three seasons as the assistant offensive line coach with the Giants. He was also the head coach of Louisiana Tech from 1999 to 2006 and ranks third in wins in school history.
Coach Mike Tomlin said that he was impressed by the way the Chiefs ran the ball last season despite having nothing but misery at the quarterback position. The Steelers have talked a lot about their disappointment with the running game since the end of the season.
“The proof is in the pudding,” said Tomlin, via the website. “When I had an opportunity to look, not only at what he says from a presentation standpoint but also at what the tape looks like, it was attractive. Obviously they were in a tough situation this past year in Kansas City from a team standpoint. Their record reflects that. They had some instability at the quarterback position, but they ran the ball and they ran the ball consistently.”
Bicknell, who is the son of former Boston College and Barcelona Dragons coach Jack Bicknell, inherits a line that was constantly in flux thanks to injuries in 2012. With recent high picks like Maurkice Pouncey, Marcus Gilbert, David DeCastro and Mike Adams in the fold, the team hopes to find a unit that can grow and stay healthy together.
|