It just seemed too perfect. Richard Mann was stepping down as wide receivers coach, and Hines Ward had been as visible around the Steelers as memory serves since he retired.
Put two-and-two together, and people were assuming Ward would be the next former player to join the coaching staff. It certainly would make sense, and would be awesome to see, but the team decided to go in a different direction to fill their coaching vacancy.
Steelers Tomlin hires Darryl Drake as WR coach. Had been with Cardinals. Coached Hines Ward at Georgia
— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) January 19, 2018
Mike Tomlin has decided to hire Darryl Drake, who was formerly with the Arizona Cardinals, for the same position in Pittsburgh. While the Cardinals do have Larry Fitzgerald, you would be hard pressed to find a better wide receiving corps than in Pittsburgh with Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Martavis Bryant and the best pass-catching running back in the game in Le’Veon Bell.
While Hines Ward was obviously who fans wanted to see take over, it doesn’t necessarily mean the job wasn’t been offered him, he could have turned it down. Drake coached Ward at Georgia, and Ward might want to continue in his current role as a former player who comes and helps as he pleases.
Either way, stay tuned to BTSC for the latest on this story and others surrounding the black-and-gold.