The Pittsburgh Steelers had plenty of moving pieces throughout the 2024 offseason. A lot of the focus was regarding the quarterback position, but overwhelming changes occurred in other areas as well, particularly on the coaching staff. Arthur Smith was brought in to be the team's new offensive coordinator after two and a half horrible years with Matt Canada, and other new faces also came to town. A couple of those individuals were quarterbacks coach Tom Arth and wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni. There isn't a doubt that the offensive unit has been better in 2024, but one guy in particular may already be on his way out by 2025.
It was a big deal when the Steelers got Azzanni to come to the Steel City after the veteran coach spent seven total seasons with three other franchises in the same role. The fan base was excited for a hands-on leader that would challenge the receiving corps, specifically George Pickens, who was thought to be a little bit too immature entering his third year in 2024.
In a recent article for The Athletic, college football writer Chris Vannini dished out several names in regards to the Central Michigan coaching vacancy that is set to take place after the 2024. Jim McElwain is retiring, and Azzanni could be an ideal candidate for Chippewas due to his ties to the university.
"Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni is a CMU alum who coached with the Chips from 2007 to ’09," Vannini wrote. "He recruited Antonio Brown and Eric Fisher to the school during a dominant period under Jones. He has also coached at Florida, Tennessee and Wisconsin and has been in the NFL since 2017. His receivers have played a big role in the Steelers’ 8-3 start this season."
Azzanni inherited a tough situation in Pittsburgh. After Diontae Johnson was traded, he didn't have the most talented group in the NFL, or anything close to it. He has worked with what the Steelers have, and even challenged Pickens, which is something fans had hoped to see when Azzanni was hired. It would be unfortunate to lose him after just one year and have another search for someone who could fill the position.
The Steelers are set to have another overhaul in the receivers' room in the 2025 offseason with Van Jefferson, Mike Williams, Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek all set to be free agents in 2025. It would be all the more difficult for the guys remaining to go through another transition when it comes to who is coaching them on a day to day basis.
In 2022 and 2023, Frisman Jackson served as the wide receivers coach, but the organization decided to go in a different direction, especially due to the departure of Canada and incoming hire of Smith. While Pittsburgh hasn't lit up the stat sheet when it comes to the receivers, Pickens has had an incredible season, despite some on-field drama that continues to find its way towards him.
It would be great to see Azzanni stick around for multiple seasons and truly build a culture within the Steelers' locker room in regards to the receivers; Calvin Austin III has shown significant flashes of improvement in 2024 as well, and it would be a shame to lose Azzanni to college. No one would blame him for having his interest piqued about the position, however.
Steelers Need Receiving Corps To Really Step Up Down The Stretch
Pittsburgh has a brutal schedule that lies ahead to finish up the 2024 regular season. It's going to be hard to get up to big leads, and most of the contests are expected to be close. This will mean that the passing game needs to step up in multiple instances to help lead the team to victory. If Azzanni is one-and-done, he can really make his mark in the Steel City with a dominating finish from his positional group.
