I can see where the coach is going in regards to the release I guess but I think a pike is generally more awkward to land than a tuck or layout. My old gym taught tuck first because the coaches preferred to spot from low bar. Once a decent release in the tuck was demonstrated, they work from a cast and then layouts. Personally I think it's easier to teach the concept of releasing with open shoulders with a tuck flip but I guess that comes down to your personal coaching opinion, equipment available, how you prefer to spot, etc. Lead up at my old gym is mainly low bar swing to open shoulder release to a wedge mat in front of the bar (skinny side toward the bar), land on back with arms up, legs in good tuck position. When they demonstrate proficiency in that, we put really cushiony mats over the wedge and flip (with spot to maintain shoulder position and slow landing) basically to hands and knees on that set up (still low bar). Then move to pit, straight leg tap swing to release, tuck, land on back (no flip), then tap to tuck flyaway.
Since virtually no one skips L6 in that program they are more concerned with developing the tap swing release than working the flyaway position. By the time layouts are introduced, it doesn't take long to make the transition. I can't even remember when I learned a layout. I can remember learning a cast flyaway on day (mostly because it was with this old coach we had who left a little later, so I recall that in the timeline of that last week) and then the next memories I have of that summer I was doing exclusively cast HS layout. It wasn't eventful in the least. Neither was a double back. I learned cast tuck timer, cast double, giant tuck timer (pit), giant double. I can't imagine doing a giant tuck timer now (I do a layout timer, usually to my back), but that was how I learned it. When I learned a double pike I basically just released for my layout to back timer and then grabbed (that was in a pit).