Time for Steelers' young receivers to Mann up

By Mike Bires mbires@timesonline.com | Posted: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 9:07 pm

Beaver County Times

http://www.timesonline.com

Mike Tomlin no doubt believes age is just a number. Over the past six years, he’s never had an issue with his 75-year-old defensive coordinator. Now he expects only the best from his 65-year-old wide receivers coach.

Dick LeBeau remains the elder statesman on the Steelers’ coaching staff. But Richard Mann, the Aliquippa native who Tomlin hired Wednesday, is now the second oldest.

For those who wonder why Tomlin would bring in a senior citizen to handle the Steelers’ receivers, have no fear. Mann knows the game. Assistants don’t last close to 30 years in the NFL because they’re part of the good-old-boy network.

Mann is a good football coach.

Tomlin knows from experience. From 2002-05 when he coached Tampa Bay's defensive backs, Mann coached the Buccaneers’ wide receivers.

One day during Tomlin’s first training camp with the Steelers in 2007, I asked him about Mann. Tomlin just raved about him. I got the impression six years ago that there might be a chance for Mann to one day work for the Steelers.

Wednesday night, I saw a few Internet comments posted by Steelers fans criticizing Mann’s hire because of his age. One even called him “The Medicare Mann.”

But Mann just might be the man to handle a Steelers’ receiving corps that vastly underachieved last year. Granted, speedster Mike Wallace may soon be gone via free agency. But the other two/thirds of the “Young Money Crew” -- Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders -- will be back. They could benefit from having an experienced guy like Mann, who’s coached 28 years with seven different NFL franchises, teaching them every day.

Mann hasn’t coached since leaving the Bucs after the 2009 season. Since then, he’s worked with a number of college wide receivers as they prepared for the NFL Draft.

Considering that the Steelers’ talented group of receivers were in the news all too often last season for dropped passes, fumbles and inconsistent play, maybe they need a wise old sage tutoring them.

Last Friday, Scottie Montgomery ended his three-year stint as Steelers wide receivers coach. He moved on to Duke University where he’s associate head coach/wide receivers coach.

There are some conspiracy theorists who believe Montgomery was forced out. I don’t know about that.

But I do like the “Mann” who’s now coaching the Steelers’ receivers.