The day he resigned as Steelers linebackers coach, Mike Archer walked into Bill Cowher's office not knowing what to expect.
Archer had been with the Steelers for seven seasons (1996-2002), coaching some of the best linebackers in franchise history: James Farrior, Jason Gildon, Levon Kirkland, Joey Porter and Jerry Olsavsky. He had helped the team go to two AFC championship games. Life in the NFL was good.
But Archer had been offered the defensive coordinator's job at Kentucky after the 2002 season, and his roots — as they are today — were in college football.
He was on the coaching staff of his alma mater, Miami, in 1983 when the Hurricanes won a national championship. He was the youngest coach in college football history in 1987 when he got the head coaching job at LSU at 34.
On Saturday, he will return to Heinz Field as the associate head coach/linebackers at Virginia for its ACC opener against Pitt. In fact, the State College native arrived in Western Pennsylvania on Thursday to make some recruiting calls.
“We need tough kids,” Archer said. “The kind they grow there.” Not many successful coaches leave the NFL for a college job, but Archer's situation was different. His son, Jeff, was already at Kentucky, playing football and baseball. His daughter, Betsy, had decided to enroll there.
“I said, ‘Bill, I know you think I'm nuts,' ” Archer said, recalling his conversation with Cowher. “Bill said, ‘No, because I know you are close to your kids. Don't ever forget your family.' He knew.” But there was more to Archer's story. Not long after the Steelers' 2002 season ended with an overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans, LeeAnn Robinson, wife of Steelers secondary coach Willy Robinson, died of cancer at 46.
“I watched what Willy went through,” Archer said. “It put things in perspective for me. This was a chance to be with my two kids all the time.” In the increasingly transient world in which coaches live, Archer lists allowing both of his children to graduate from the same high school and college (North Allegheny and Kentucky) as one of his proudest achievements. “That's unique in this business,” he said.
That's no insignificant declaration because Archer, 62, has had a long and prosperous coaching career. This is his 39th season, a string interrupted only when he sat out the 2013 season after leaving N.C. State and becoming a grandfather.
The highlight was getting promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach at LSU. Also interviewed for the job were Steve Spurrier, Mike Shanahan, Mack Brown and Sam Rutigliano.
Archer's first team finished 10-1-1 and No. 5 in the nation, and he shared the SEC title the following year with Auburn. LSU's 7-6 victory against Auburn in 1987 — 27 years ago Thursday — was labeled “The Earthquake Game” after an LSU seismologist detected seismic activity coming from Tiger Stadium when 84,000 people cheered the game-winning touchdown.
But his LSU experience quickly soured during losing seasons in 1989 and 1990. For Sale signs were shoved in the front lawn of his home, and one day he found his newspaper torn to shreds. He said he received death threats.
“They wanted my head on a plate because we didn't win all 11 games, but that's the SEC,” said Archer, who said he never made more than $300,000 at LSU. Yet he's not bitter. When his son asked him about coaching at LSU, he said, “Well, my hair wasn't white, and I had more of it. But it's something I look back on very positively.”
After leaving LSU, he coached at Virginia and Kentucky for the first time before joining the Steelers. Since leaving Pittsburgh, he has been the defensive coordinator at Kentucky and N.C. State.
Saturday's game will be his first at Heinz Field since he left the Steelers. He stays in touch with friends and family in this area and occasionally stops by the Steelers offices to visit old pals. Porter, Olsavsky and Carnell Lake — players he coached — are on the Steelers staff.
He's pleased to be back in coaching, and he has no plans to retire.
“I enjoy the kids. I enjoy the grind,” he said. “When it's not fun getting up at 5:15 in the morning and doing what I've done for 40 years, I'll get out of it. I don't want to waste anybody's time.”
Jerry DiPaola is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.
Archer had been with the Steelers for seven seasons (1996-2002), coaching some of the best linebackers in franchise history: James Farrior, Jason Gildon, Levon Kirkland, Joey Porter and Jerry Olsavsky. He had helped the team go to two AFC championship games. Life in the NFL was good.
But Archer had been offered the defensive coordinator's job at Kentucky after the 2002 season, and his roots — as they are today — were in college football.
He was on the coaching staff of his alma mater, Miami, in 1983 when the Hurricanes won a national championship. He was the youngest coach in college football history in 1987 when he got the head coaching job at LSU at 34.
On Saturday, he will return to Heinz Field as the associate head coach/linebackers at Virginia for its ACC opener against Pitt. In fact, the State College native arrived in Western Pennsylvania on Thursday to make some recruiting calls.
“We need tough kids,” Archer said. “The kind they grow there.” Not many successful coaches leave the NFL for a college job, but Archer's situation was different. His son, Jeff, was already at Kentucky, playing football and baseball. His daughter, Betsy, had decided to enroll there.
“I said, ‘Bill, I know you think I'm nuts,' ” Archer said, recalling his conversation with Cowher. “Bill said, ‘No, because I know you are close to your kids. Don't ever forget your family.' He knew.” But there was more to Archer's story. Not long after the Steelers' 2002 season ended with an overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans, LeeAnn Robinson, wife of Steelers secondary coach Willy Robinson, died of cancer at 46.
“I watched what Willy went through,” Archer said. “It put things in perspective for me. This was a chance to be with my two kids all the time.” In the increasingly transient world in which coaches live, Archer lists allowing both of his children to graduate from the same high school and college (North Allegheny and Kentucky) as one of his proudest achievements. “That's unique in this business,” he said.
That's no insignificant declaration because Archer, 62, has had a long and prosperous coaching career. This is his 39th season, a string interrupted only when he sat out the 2013 season after leaving N.C. State and becoming a grandfather.
The highlight was getting promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach at LSU. Also interviewed for the job were Steve Spurrier, Mike Shanahan, Mack Brown and Sam Rutigliano.
Archer's first team finished 10-1-1 and No. 5 in the nation, and he shared the SEC title the following year with Auburn. LSU's 7-6 victory against Auburn in 1987 — 27 years ago Thursday — was labeled “The Earthquake Game” after an LSU seismologist detected seismic activity coming from Tiger Stadium when 84,000 people cheered the game-winning touchdown.
But his LSU experience quickly soured during losing seasons in 1989 and 1990. For Sale signs were shoved in the front lawn of his home, and one day he found his newspaper torn to shreds. He said he received death threats.
“They wanted my head on a plate because we didn't win all 11 games, but that's the SEC,” said Archer, who said he never made more than $300,000 at LSU. Yet he's not bitter. When his son asked him about coaching at LSU, he said, “Well, my hair wasn't white, and I had more of it. But it's something I look back on very positively.”
After leaving LSU, he coached at Virginia and Kentucky for the first time before joining the Steelers. Since leaving Pittsburgh, he has been the defensive coordinator at Kentucky and N.C. State.
Saturday's game will be his first at Heinz Field since he left the Steelers. He stays in touch with friends and family in this area and occasionally stops by the Steelers offices to visit old pals. Porter, Olsavsky and Carnell Lake — players he coached — are on the Steelers staff.
He's pleased to be back in coaching, and he has no plans to retire.
“I enjoy the kids. I enjoy the grind,” he said. “When it's not fun getting up at 5:15 in the morning and doing what I've done for 40 years, I'll get out of it. I don't want to waste anybody's time.”
Jerry DiPaola is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.
