Mike Munchak enters his third year as offensive line coach for the Denver Broncos in 2021. He was hired by the club on Jan. 17, 2019.
Munchak has spent the past 39 years in the NFL—12 as a Pro Football Hall of Fame guard for the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans (1982-93) and 27 as a coach for the Oilers/Titans (1994-2013), Steelers (2014-18) and Broncos (2019-20).
An offensive line coach for 21 seasons, Munchak spent five years in that position with Pittsburgh before joining the Broncos. He also coached the offensive line with Houston/Tennessee from 1994-2010 before being promoted to head coach of the Titans from 2011-13.
During his two seasons with the Broncos, Munchak has played an instrumental role in the development of tackle Garett Bolles. A second-team Associated Press All-Pro selection in 2020, Bolles was called for one holding penalty and allowed just half a sack, according to STATS LLC, this past season.
Denver's offensive line in 2020 used five different offensive line combinations and ranked tied for fourth in the NFL in sacks allowed (19) and sacks allowed per game (1.5) in Week 4-17. Rookie third-round center Lloyd Cushenberry III finished the season as of two rookies (T Tristian Wirfs, T.B.) in the NFL to play in 100 percent of their team's offensive snaps.
In his first year with the Broncos, Munchak led an offensive line that featured three 16-game starters (T Bolles, C Connor McGovern & G Dalton Risner). He played a key role in the development of Risner, who was named to the PFWA's All-Rookie Team after playing the fifth-most snaps (1,035) by a Broncos first-year offensive lineman since 1970.
The Broncos' offensive line also helped second-year running back Phillip Lindsay rush for more than 1,000 yards, representing the 19th time in 23 seasons that a Munchak coached unit paved the way for a 1,000-yard rusher. That total includes the 2009 campaign with Tennessee in which running back Chris Johnson became just the sixth player in NFL history to top 2,000 rushing yards (2,006).
During his 24 years as an NFL position coach or head coach, Munchak's offensive lines have finished in the Top 10 in fewest sacks allowed 16 times. He has coached seven different offensive linemen who have been selected to the Pro Bowl, including a trio of linemen in his final two seasons with Pittsburgh: guard David DeCastro, center Maurkice Pouncey and tackle Alejandro Villanueva.
In five seasons with the Steelers, Munchak helped coach an offensive unit that ranked second in total yards (391.1 ypg) and third in scoring (24.7 ppg) from 2014-18. His offensive line tied for the second-fewest sacks allowed (135) while giving up the second-fewest total pressures (559) during that span.
Munchak compiled a 22-26 record (.458) as the head coach of the Titans from 2011-13, leading Tennessee to 15 wins through his first two years to represent the third-most wins by a coach in his first two full seasons with the franchise.
Prior to taking over as head coach, Munchak spent 14 years (1997-2010) as Tennessee's offensive line coach. During that span, the Titans gave up the third-fewest sacks (396) in the NFL and featured four different Pro Bowl offensive linemen: Pro Football Hall of Famers Bruce Matthews (1997-2001) and Kevin Mawae (2008-09), tackle Brad Hopkins (2000, '03) and tackle Michael Roos (2009).
Tennessee's line blocked for an NFL-high 12 individual 1,000-yard rushing seasons from 1997-2010 while ranking seventh in overall rushing (124.5 ypg) during that span.
Munchak began his coaching career immediately after retiring as a player, working as an offensive assistant for the Oilers in 1994 and as an offensive quality control coach for the team from 1995-96.
Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2001, Munchak was the Oilers' eighth overall pick in the 1982 NFL Draft from Penn State University. He started 156 regular-season games and 10 postseason contests for the Oilers/Titans and had his No. 63 jersey retired by the organization.
Munchak, who was named to the 1980s NFL All-Decade Team, made nine Pro Bowls and received first-or second-team All-Pro honors in 10 of his 12 NFL seasons.
A second-team All-American at Penn State, where he played from 1978-81, Munchak spent his prep career at Scranton (Pa.) Central High School. Born on March 5, 1960, Munchak is married to Marci and the couple has two daughters, Alex and Julie, a granddaughter, Emilia, and a grandson, Noah Michael.
