The Pittsburgh Steelers made news yesterday with confirmation from team spokesman Burt Lauten that Matt Canada would be returning as the team’s offensive coordinator. The team also lost assistant wide receivers coach Blaine Stewart yesterday as he took a position on the staff at West Virginia University. Outside of Stewart leaving, Ray Fittipaldo said on the Poni and Mueller show on 93.7 The Fan that outside of a possible retirement, there doesn’t look to be any staff changes coming for the Steelers.
“Short of a retirement by Danny Smith or maybe somebody else on the coaching staff, I’m not even sure who else would be up for retirement, it doesn’t look like at this point there are going to be any coaching changes,” Fittipaldo said.
It’s not terribly surprising that the Steelers aren’t going to make any changes. Obviously, the team could lose assistant linebackers coach Brian Flores to a head coaching job or defensive coordinator gig, but it doesn’t sound as if any staff member will be leaving involuntarily.
The only possible firing would’ve been Canada, but not only would that have been out of character for the Steelers given that Canada still has an additional year on his contract, but the improvement the Steelers’ offense showed down the stretch was clearly enough to save his job. Pittsburgh brought in wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson and offensive line coach Pat Meyer before this season, and both did a solid job in their first year.
Pretty much every offensive position coach did a really solid job this year, and on the defensive side of the ball, the Steelers got better throughout the year and led the league in interceptions. They have a veteran defensive staff, with Grady Brown being the least-experienced but possibly most promising defensive position coach, as he was recently named the defensive coordinator for the National Team at the upcoming Senior Bowl.
Smith is 69, so retirement isn’t totally out of the question but I find him retiring to be unlikely, especially at this point. If Smith was going to retire, it likely would’ve come earlier in the offseason.
Basically, the only changes on Pittsburgh’s coaching staff would come if Flores or someone else leaves for a better opportunity. Pittsburgh will likely hire someone to replace Stewart, but it seems as if continuity will be the theme for the Steelers staff heading into 2023.
