It is ironic how on the same day the Pittsburgh Steelers bring in the former Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive line coach for an interview, the coach the Steelers decided to let walk, Shaun Sarrett, is hired by the Los Angeles Chargers as an assistant offensive line coach.
This per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network:
Former #Steelers offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett is expected to join the #Chargers as assistant OL coach, source said.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 27, 2021
It was just a few weeks ago when the Steelers decided to not renew the contract of Sarrett, this on top of three other coaches whose contracts had expired after the 2020 regular season.
What most people don’t realize, is Sarrett’s time with the Steelers pre-dates that of Mike Munchak. Sarrett had been with the team as an assistant before Munchak was hired, and now he returns to that assistant role with the Chargers.
Many pinned the poor Steelers’ running game on Sarrett, considering the past two seasons were his first as an offensive line coach, but you can’t blame players like Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro and Alejandro Villanueva necessarily on the offensive line coach. Some of the blame has to be put on Kevin Colbert for not re-stocking the cupboards with younger talent, as well as Randy Fichtner for his scheme not being conducive to having success on the ground.
There are a lot of factors as it pertains to the successes, or failures, of a group like the offensive line, and Sarrett has bore the brunt of those fan frustrations this offseason. Sarrett finds a new gig in Los Angeles, and the Steelers are still searching for their next offensive line coach.
Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black and gold as they prepare for the new league year, NFL Free Agency and the 2021 NFL Draft.