NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- For 31 years, he was a proud member of the Oilers/Titans franchise.

It ended badly for Mike Munchak in Tennessee after his time with the team culminated in three years as the head coach.

But he remains widely respected for his loyalty and contributions to the franchise. He’s a Hall of Fame guard and was an excellent offensive line coach before he was promoted to the top spot.

After the 2013 season he could have had an extension, but he declined to make the severe alterations to the staff that CEO and president Tommy Smith and general manager Ruston Webster required, and essentially fired himself.

Monday night he returns to LP Field as the offensive line coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team his family felt ties to as he grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but a franchise he regarded as a big rival throughout his time in the NFL.

"On a personal note, it’s just that there are a lot of special people that work for the Titan organization," Munchak told Pittsburgh media on Friday. "I had the privilege to be a part of their organization for a long, long time, and got a chance to work with a lot of people there.

"It’s been a family atmosphere for me for a long time, and so on a personal note it’s going to be very difficult that way, because that’s the part I miss the most is the relationships and spending time with all the people in Houston and in Nashville for 30 years. That’s rare, and so that’s probably the tough part. The business side obviously is a lot different."

Twenty-nine players who were on Munchak's roster in 2013 remain part of the first edition of Ken WHisenhunt's Tennessee Titans. They include 3/5th of an underachieving offensive line: Left guard Andy Levitre (a six-year, $46 million free-agent contract with $13 million guaranteed), center Brian Schwenke (fourth-round pick in 2013) and right guard Chance Warmack (10th pick overall in 2013).

On my Nashville radio show, The Midday 180, Webster said he’s not sure how his interaction with Munchak will go on Monday night.

But plenty of others will greet him and enjoy a friendly moment.

"It’s going to be kind of nostalgic for him, he hasn’t been on the other side yet," Levitre said. "I don’t know how he’s going to take it, but I am sure it will be a cool experience for him."

"He’s a good guy, he was a good mentor," Warmack said. "He kind of introduced me to the NFL the right way. He played the same position, so he taught me a lot of different things, told me a lot of his stories. Good coach, good person, great offensive lineman."

Munchak said he doesn’t even know where the visitor’s locker room at LP Field is, and he will have to follow the rest of the team to get there.

Will the Titans do anything Monday night to acknowledge Munchak’s return? His number is retired and he’s in the team’s Hall of Fame as well as the Pro Football Hall of fame. His name is on a banner in the stadium.

I suspect they will at least show him on the scoreboard during a timeout. There will be enough Steelers fans to drown out any boos -- and frankly there shouldn’t be any.

He failed as a head coach, and the ending wasn't pleasant. They rarely are. But his overall contribution to the team was more than applause-worthy.