KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- When Mike Munchak accepted the Broncos' offer to take the same position he held with the Steelers, Art Rooney II and Mike Tomlin wasted little time in naming his replacement.
No sooner had news broken that Munchak was leaving than the Steelers announced that his longtime assistant, Shaun Sarrett, was being promoted as his replacement.
The Steelers had already had plenty of time to think about the possibility of Munchak, who had been their offensive line coach since 2014, leaving. He'd already been one of two finalists for the head coaching position with the Broncos, a job that went to Vic Fangio. So Tomlin had already made up his mind that if Munchak left, it was Sarrett's time.
The Steelers' linemen, while sad to see Munchak go, were happy for Sarrett, who has been with the team since 2012.
"I couldn’t be happier. He’s a guy who has learned a lot from Munch," Maurkice Pouncey said this week at the Pro Bowl practices at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex. "He played football. He was an offensive lineman. He knows the ins and outs of it, the pass protection, the run blocking, things like that. He’s really honed in on technique. Playing offensive line, that’s the one thing you’ve got to teach guys, being a technician. I think he’s learned from one of the best. He has a lot to lean on, and we have a lot to look forward to with him being our offensive line coach."
What are the expectations from the group for Sarrett?
The idea is that he'll carry over what he's learned while serving under Munchak as well as former offensive line coach Sean Kugler.
"We’ve got a fresh set of eyes who is very intelligent," Alejandro Villanueva told me. "He’s very respectful of the way he brings up ideas and is a coach that you want to play for. From that aspect, nothing changes. He’s going to teach us technique. He’s going to teach us the playbook. He knows all of us are already, so we won’t have to get to know each other. And the potential ideas and potential for improvement is significant."
The Steelers made a pitch to keep Munchak. Rooney said he made an offer to extend Munchak's contract prior to the start of the 2018 season. But the lure of moving closer to his family was too great. Not only does Munchak have a daughter and grandchild in the Denver area, his other daughter lives on the West Coast.
So, in reality, the Steelers had the entire 2018 season to watch Sarrett to see if he was a competent replacement.
"We’re excited," Villanueva said. "We’re very proud of what Coach Sarrett has accomplished."
MORE STEELERS
• With the news that the Steelers won't be playing in Mexico City next season as they expected -- and had been reported by a Mexico-based newspaper -- comes the realization the team will play three road games -- against the Chargers, Cardinals and 49ers -- outside the Eastern and Central Time Zones. As I reported here, that has not always worked out well for them. The Steelers have asked the NFL about the possibility of playing two of those three road games against the Chargers, Cardinals or 49ers back-to-back with the idea they would stay out there in the week between the games and perhaps have a better chance of winning. But, I'm told the Steelers often ask the league for such a move and it hasn't been granted yet. -- Lolley
• While a lot of Chargers fans were upset when fullback Derek Watt was ruled short of the goal line in their playoff game against the Ravens, nobody was more disappointed with the league's replay booth for ruling Watt hadn't scored than his younger brother, T.J. Derek Watt has appeared in 50 career games -- counting playoffs -- and has touched the ball just 20 times, spending most of his time blocking and playing special teams. Watt's catch on the final play of the third quarter of the Chargers' 23-17 win over the Ravens would have been a big one. And he appeared to roll into the end zone untouched, but Los Angeles' replay challenge that he had scored was denied. "He did," T.J. Watt told me this week at the Pro Bowl when I told him I thought Derek had scored. "I thought for sure that was a touchdown. We have to figure out the camera angles, because I thought for sure that he was across the line. He deserved that more than anything. It’s been, what, three years to get a touchdown on such a big stage." -- Lolley
• Just to add to the Sarrett entry: I recall several offensive linemen telling me upon Kugler's dismissal that they worked more closely with Sarrett than the man who was actually in charge at the time. So they might have been good with this promotion even back then. Sarrett's stock has only risen since then. -- Dejan Kovacevic
PENGUINS
• There was always speculation that the general manager and the coach were never on the same page when it came to Ryan Reaves last season. Reaves was thought to be more of a Jim Rutherford guy while Mike Sullivan was the one who didn’t feel the need for an enforcer on the Penguins, right? After all, it was Sullivan who was playing Reaves just six minutes a night before Rutherford finally packaged him to the Golden Knights as part of the blockbuster Derick Brassard trade. Well, if there’s any animosity on Reaves’ part, it doesn’t show. Following Saturday night’s game in Las Vegas, Reaves stood outside the Penguins’ dressing room handing out handshakes and hugs to his former teammates, team staffers and, yes, Sullivan. Reaves has plenty to smile about after landing in Vegas where the Knights have, arguably, the best fourth line in the NHL and he’s scored a career-high eight goals with 31 games still to play. — Chris Bradford in San Jose, Calif.
• If and when Brassard is traded again, meaning out of Pittsburgh, the Penguins don't feel any need to get a similar center in return. They like the options from Riley Sheahan, Matt Cullen and, as a depth possibility, Teddy Blueger from the AHL. In that event, though, the scoring on the bottom two lines -- notably the third -- will have to come from the wings. It's not a simple dynamic but, as Rutherford told me recently out west, neither is it one where he must get something done. -- Kovacevic
• Well, that didn’t take long. Last week I wrote about Hurricanes left winger Micheal Ferland and how he could be the most sought after player at next month’s trade deadline. Count the Penguins among those interested in the physical forward. They could certainly use some size and snarl up front and given Rutherford’s history with Carolina, a deal makes sense on many levels. Be advised though, Ferland won’t come cheaply. The Penguins haven’t had a first-round pick in four years (Kasperi Kapanen in 2014). If the Penguins acquire Ferland, you can make that five years. And that's just the start. — Bradford
• The Penguins went through their own arena battle about a decade ago, finally culminating in the construction of what is now PPG Paints Arena. Last weekend, the Penguins found out firsthand why the Coyotes are seeking a new arena even if it's just 15 years old. While Gila River Arena is a gorgeous, state-of-the-art venue, complete with a surrounding high-end shopping and entertainment district, it’s out in the middle of the desert, literally, in Glendale. While the NFL Cardinals have been able to make a go of it at the neighboring University of Phoenix Stadium, the NFL plays on weekends, when traffic isn’t a major concern. But it is an issue for the Coyotes, who play mainly weeknights and whose fan base resides mostly in the East Valley, about 20-40 miles away. Throw in the fact that the Coyotes haven’t reached the postseason since 2012, and it’s understandable why their attendance ranks 29th of 31 and why relocation is a distinct possibility if a new home can’t be built. Last Friday, the Penguins team buses got caught in the gridlock leading from Scottsdale — where the team stayed and the Coyotes practice —to Glendale. The commute to the rink took an hour-and-a-half with ticked off players arriving at 5:05 local time for a 7 p.m. faceoff. Due in part to the traffic conditions, the Penguins didn’t conduct a morning skate last Friday and haven’t had one in years at Gila River Arena. — Bradford
PIRATES
• The report from NBC Sports Los Angeles earlier this week that the Pirates were considering trading Starling Marte to the Dodgers had next to no validity. Yes, the Dodgers asked about Marte at the Winter Meetings last month. However, a source with knowledge of the situation said the talks “lasted about a minute and gained absolutely no traction.” While the Pirates sometimes get frustrated with Marte’s mental errors and occasional lack of effort, they also know he is their most talented player and needs to have a big year if they are to contend in 2019. -- John Perrotto
• As I reported Monday, the Pirates are on target to have the next-to-lowest payroll in Major League Baseball this year. However, don’t expect anyone affiliated with the Pirates to publicly question the team’s spending. As one Pirates person said, "If you do what Bob (Nutting) tells you and keep your mouth shut, everything is fine.” -- Perrotto
• Launch angle has become all the rage the last few years, though the Pirates seem to be missing out on it as their 157 home runs last season ranked 25th among the 30 major league teams. However, don’t expect everyone in the Pirates’ lineup to start taking severe uppercut swings under new hitting coach Rick Eckstein. “Launch angle is a measurement, not a hitting philosophy,” Eckstein told DKPittsburghSports.com. "A lot of aspects go into being a good hitter." -- Perrotto
• Remember that $50 million check from MLB Advanced Media last spring, the one Nutting couldn't or wouldn't tell our site how he'd invest it when we asked? The Brewers, based in a market two-thirds the size of Pittsburgh, took that money and applied it to dramatic upgrades to their spring facilities in Arizona, I'm told. The Pirates upgraded their own facilities in Bradenton in recent years, but they did so largely on the backs of local government in Florida. -- Kovacevic
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