WR Coach Scott Montgomery Leaving

[Mister Pittsburgh]

[URL]http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/steelers-wr-coach-montgomery-leaves-for-job-at-duke-673940/[/URL]
Steelers' WR coach Montgomery leaves for job at Duke

February 8, 2013 9:12
By Ed Bouchette / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin will have yet another opening on his coaching staff to fill because assistant Scottie Montgomery is taking a job with Duke University.
Montgomery coached the Steelers' wide receivers the past three seasons. He will become the offensive coordinator at Duke, a source told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Montgomery coached the wide receivers at Duke, his alma mater, for four seasons before joining the Steelers staff in 2010.
He was among Duke's all-time leading receivers.
Tomlin has hired two coaches since the end of the season, Jack Bicknell Jr. as his offensive line coach and Danny Smith to coach the special teams. He still has not filled one other position.

[phillyesq]

That's a shame.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Offensive coaches leaving like rats from a sinking ship.....

[Slapstick]

Offensive coaches leaving like rats from a sinking ship.....

...for promotions...

[RKSteel]

Hire Hines Ward

[phillyesq]

Hire Hines Ward

Would be great to see him as a part of the team but I imagine that he would have to take a massive paycut.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

...for promotions...

I'm torn on this notion....is becoming the HC at UTEP a big promotion from being an OL coach? If you become a HC in college, isn't that just about the pinnacle of a college coaches career, where if you have your foot in the door in the NFL you can become more.

Same with becoming the OC of Duke Football? Pardon me but Duke isn't a real hotbed for football and WR coaches can get bumped up to OC in the NFL.

Maybe I'm mistaken. I know a guy whose kid played for North Allegheny where Kuglers son played, and he said that Kugler really disliked Haley and that is why he jumped at the chance to leave. He said/ he said...I know....but just what I was told. But I guess I can understand Kugler taking off for a HC gig at his alma mater.....but Montgomery going to Duke doesn't seem like a real big promotion.

[Bluto]

I'm torn on this notion....is becoming the HC at UTEP a big promotion from being an OL coach? If you become a HC in college, isn't that just about the pinnacle of a college coaches career, where if you have your foot in the door in the NFL you can become more.

Same with becoming the OC of Duke Football? Pardon me but Duke isn't a real hotbed for football and WR coaches can get bumped up to OC in the NFL.

Maybe I'm mistaken. I know a guy whose kid played for North Allegheny where Kuglers son played, and he said that Kugler really disliked Haley and that is why he jumped at the chance to leave. He said/ he said...I know....but just what I was told. But I guess I can understand Kugler taking off for a HC gig at his alma mater.....but Montgomery going to Duke doesn't seem like a real big promotion.

Duke was coach Montgomery Alma mater also. I think thatis always going to be interesting. I think I remember Hines saying he would like to coach at Goegia. Duke O put up massive numbers last year. If he does the same. He has a better chance to get a bigger gig. Rather than just coaching our WR.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Duke was coach Montgomery Alma mater also. I think thatis always going to be interesting. I think I remember Hines saying he would like to coach at Goegia. Duke O put up massive numbers last year. If he does the same. He has a better chance to get a bigger gig. Rather than just coaching our WR.

OK...yeah...not trying to act like a know-it-all....just wasn't sure how going to the college ranks would help you in your quest to become more in the NFL....when the NFL is the top league. As you said, maybe the call to go home is more meaningful to them. I guess look at a guy like Randy Fichtner though. He was a stud for Memphis football and controlled his own offense where here he won't be made an OC and will be a QB coach till he leaves. Wonder why Arians wouldn't look at Fichtner as his OC. I know Arians will really be the one in charge of the offense out there but you would think if he had a good relationship with Fichtner he would consider him as his OC.

[Eddie Spaghetti]

the money in college football is so much better than it was, even 5 years ago.

gotta be a factor.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Was not aware of that Mr. Spaghetti.....

[papillon]

I'm torn on this notion....is becoming the HC at UTEP a big promotion from being an OL coach? If you become a HC in college, isn't that just about the pinnacle of a college coaches career, where if you have your foot in the door in the NFL you can become more.

Same with becoming the OC of Duke Football? Pardon me but Duke isn't a real hotbed for football and WR coaches can get bumped up to OC in the NFL.

Maybe I'm mistaken. I know a guy whose kid played for North Allegheny where Kuglers son played, and he said that Kugler really disliked Haley and that is why he jumped at the chance to leave. He said/ he said...I know....but just what I was told. But I guess I can understand Kugler taking off for a HC gig at his alma mater.....but Montgomery going to Duke doesn't seem like a real big promotion.

Here's the thing, if you want to be a head coach in the NFL and get the chance to manage the offense, defense and special teams (the way a head coach would do) then taking a head coaching job, even at a school not known for football gives you that experience. An NFL team looking to make a change and gives him an interview he can use experience running an entire football team as a positive and the negative is that he didn't do it in the NFL. In the case where you leave the NFL for a head coaching job, you do have NFL experience, just not as a head coach.

On the other hand, a coordinator can't say he's managed the entire team, only 1/3 of the team, either Special teams, offense or defense, so, if you're the owner of an NFL team, who do you hire? The guy with head coaching experience or the guy with NFL experience. I don't know, but I don't think its a detriment to leave the NFL to be a college head coach if you aspire to coach in the NFL at the head coaching position.

Pappy

[RuthlessBurgher]

NFL coaching jobs are strictly business. Assistants tend to coach at one place for a couple of years, then move on to a new place for a couple of years, and so on. Rarely does a coach develop a "love" for a particular NFL team or NFL city, since those jobs tend to be so temporary...you are merely a hired gun.

However, a guy's alma mater will always be his alma mater. There will always be a meaningful relationship with one's alma mater no matter what. Even if it's not the pinnacle of the profession, you can make a comfortable salary while "going home" and being happy. It's hard to put a dollar value on something like that.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

It's hard to put a dollar value on something like that.

Very true....

[Oviedo]

Could be Haley getting the coaches he wants versus what he inherited. It is not uncommon for a coach to get other coaches or share his philosophy. Not sure why so many here feel fresh blood and new perspectives are a bad thing.