Munchak a ‘great, great hire’ for Broncos o-line coach, says Stokley
Jan 14, 2019, 2:09 PM | Updated: Jan 15, 2019, 3:52 am
Less than a week ago Mike Munchak lost out on the Denver Broncos head coaching job to Vic Fangio, but the offensive line guru will be orange and blue clad come next season anyway.
The Broncos announced on Monday that they had agreed to terms to make Munchak the team’s new offensive line coach.
“I like that hire. He’s an offensive line guy. He’s been around this game forever. He’s been doing it, and he’s done it at a high level,” said “Stokley and Zach” co-host Brandon Stokley upon hearing the news Monday. “So, I think that’s a great, great hire for the Broncos hiring Mike Munchak to be their offensive line coach.”
Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said via a team release that there’s “nobody better as an offensive line coach than Mike Munchak.”
“The combination of his ability to coach the individual with his ability to coach the group — while also being a big part of the overall offense — is very impressive,” Fangio said. “Mike’s experience and stature as a coach in the NFL make this a home run hire for us. We’re very excited to add him to our staff.”
The move seems to be quite a coup for Denver, as they bring in Munchak to join Fangio, who led the Chicago Bears last season to the NFL’s top-ranked defense.
Himself a Pro Football Hall of Famer as a lineman, Munchak has spent nearly the past four decades in the NFL — 12 as a player and 22 as a coach for the Houston/Tennessee Titans and, most recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
During his 19 seasons as an offensive line coach and three as a head coach, Munchak helped seven different offensive linemen to Pro Bowl selections, including three Steelers in 2018 — guard David DeCastro, center Maurkice Pouncey, and tackle Alejandro Villanueva.
Munchak’s offensive lies have finished in the Top 10 in fewest sacks allowed 16 times, and in five seasons with the Steelers, the team has ranked second in total yards (391.1 yards per game) and third in scoring (24.7 points per game).
Along with his wife, Marci, Munchak has a daughter and granddaughter who live in the Denver area.
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.