We spend much of your time analyzing and focusing on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster. Their players, the ones doing the blocking and the tackling. While it’s harder, it’s also worth evaluating the team’s coaching staff, too. There’s no “tape” on them the way there is a running back or a cornerback. But with the offseason slowing things down for us, I wanted to take a chance to grade the core of the coaching staff.
This list will include head coach Mike Tomlin, the coordinators, and the head position coaches, names like DBs Coach Grady Brown and RBs Coach Eddie Faulkner. Coaches who won’t be included are assistants, names like assistant OL Coach Isaac Williams and Assistant Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander.
As you probably expect, this is a subjective list and it’s difficult to ascribe even “objective” criteria to a coaching staff. But it’s based partially off the success of their position group, what I’ve observed in training camp, and their NFL resume and reputation.
We’ll start from the bottom and get to the top with the 13 coaches on this list.
#13 – Denzel Martin: Outside Linebackers Coach
Martin has been with the Steelers for closing in on a decade, though 2023 will be his first year as the team’s official and dedicated Outside Linebackers Coach. Tomlin met Martin at the 2015 Missouri Pro Day and was so impressed he hired him. He began on the scouting side before moving into coaching and for the last several years, has worked closely with DL Coach Karl Dunbar and the defensive linemen and outside linebackers.
Now, it seems like that group could be broken up with Martin taking the outside linebackers. He’s a little hard to judge given his assistant resume and he’s still a young coach. But he seems like a smart guy who works hard and clearly makes a good first impression. It’ll be exciting to see him have more autonomy with a position group this summer, presuming he’s separating more from Dunbar.
#12 – Aaron Curry: Inside Linebackers Coach
A young coach who has big shoes to follow Brian Flores, who left Pittsburgh after one year to become the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator. Curry, a former first-round pick, began his coaching career at Charlotte, working alongside DL Larry Ogunjobi, before being hired as an assistant with the Seattle Seahawks in 2019.
A new hire, we don’t know much about Curry as a coach. He’s regarded as someone who will bring energy and at 37, his age will help him connect with players. There’s plenty of new at inside linebacker this season, player and coach, and we’ll keep a close eye on how this group works at Latrobe this summer.
#11 – Matt Canada: Offensive Coordinator
It’d be trendy to rank him dead last and it wouldn’t be entirely unjustified to place him there. But I’ll be a little fair knowing he’s had his share of obstacles to deal with. Trying to mesh his ideals with Ben Roethlisberger in the final year of his career was a challenge. Last year’s offense, the youngest in football, had growing pains everywhere, including under center.
Still, it’s a results-oriented business and yeah, business ain’t boomin’. In his two years as OC, the Steelers have ranked 21st and 26nd in points per game and 23rd in red zone offense in 2021 and 2022. Predictably, their offenses have struggled out of the gate, tied for 30th in first quarter scoring drives (18) and touchdown drives (9). Not all of that is his fault, players bear responsibility too, but his play calling has been poor. A limited playbook with ineffective constraint plays and feel for the game, failing to dress up formations and personnel groupings to run the same concepts that top coordinators devise.
Last year, he spent too much of the season calling for sideline throws, the Steelers threw 17 sprintouts the first month alone (and hardly any on third down when getting four yards on 3rd and 2 is actually a decent idea). That destroyed the team’s YAC and was one reason for Diontae Johnson’s disappointing season.
Canada has struggled to gain traction and stay at any one job for a length of time. Since 2011, he’s been with seven different teams. Though entirely anecdotal, he also has the reputation of being a difficult person to work with. The 2023 season is make or break for Canada or else he won’t return for 2024.
#10 – Frisman Jackson: Wide Receivers Coach
Replacing Ike Hilliard for the 2022 season, Jackson seemed cut from a similar cloth. A former NFL player, Jackson had college and pro experience, which seemed like a good fit. He brings good energy and presence on the field and is very vocal throughout drills, not stopping them to teach and talk but to talk as players run through them, constantly reminding and calling out coaching points.
He’s entering only his second season with the team, making him harder to judge. Chase Claypool didn’t succeed in the slot but I don’t pin that on Jackson; Claypool simply isn’t an effective slot receiver. George Pickens flashed his rookie year though some of his tools and traits are so innate and natural it probably doesn’t matter who’s coaching him. Still, Pickens’ game developed throughout his rookie year and he looks like the next marquee Steelers receiver. Jackson gets some credit for that. He was the coach who worked Pickens out at his Georgia Pro Day and likely helped sign off on the selection.
#9 – Eddie Faulkner: Running Backs Coach
Often a forgotten name even to Steelers’ fans, he did get the benefit of having a first-round pick in Najee Harris to work with. Still, Faulkner helped develop UDFA Jaylen Warren, a gem of a find who brings tons of benefits to the offense. Though Faulkner preaches ball security, like every other running back coach in the football world, what I like about Faulkner is how creatively he works it in practice and incorporates it into every drill.
He is the king of creative drills, like this card-catching one earlier in OTAs.
Beyond that, I don’t have a ton of commentary about Faulkner’s coaching ability. He’s more of a teacher than a yeller and has done a nice job with the group overall, his college recruiting background helping to connect with players. Still, I don’t get the feel he’s an elite coach.
#8 – Grady Brown: Defensive Backs Coach
This is where the rankings get a little difficult to decide. Brown is a fast-riser on the Steelers’ coaching staff and in the NFL and could be higher on this list in a year or two. Heck, he might be off this list, hired as a defensive coordinator for another team.
A great and underrated find by Mike Tomlin and the Steelers, Brown was a college coaching journeyman who had just accepted a job at Houston before being hired by Pittsburgh two weeks later. Brown served as Teryl Austin’s secondary assistant until 2022 when Austin was promoted to DC and Brown received the sole DBs Coach title. He’s furthered the team’s culture of a ball-hawking secondary, as the Steelers tied for the NFL lead with 20 picks a year ago.
Brown seems well-liked and though we haven’t gotten to hear much from him, we saw him work at the Senior Bowl, serving as National Team DC, and the prospects seemed to respond well to him. The fact he got the DC spot shows how he’s thought of around the league despite being in the NFL for only two full years. If the Steelers’ secondary plays well in 2023, Brown could receive DC interviews around the league for the 2024 cycle.
#7 – Pat Meyer: Offensive Line Coach
Meyer is a tough coach to slot. He came to Pittsburgh with a meh reputation. No one was thrilled about his hire, but what matters most is what he’s done since being hired. He inherited a changing and building offensive line that had to work through growing pains because of their newness to the team and/or the league in addition to Meyer’s relatively unique coaching style, especially in pass protection. He teaches ultra-aggressive pass sets, not just in mentality but technique, with flat or even forward steps to make “first significant contact” and win reps early.
Pittsburgh has focused heavily on adding o-line talent the last two offseasons, giving Meyer more to work with. There’s a lot more experience in his system this time around and the Steelers are putting together a good-looking line, though there’s still some unknowns and uncertainties here. With another year of o-line improvement, he’ll slide up handful of spots.
What I like most about Meyer is that he’s a true teacher. He’s a quiet personality and you never hear his voice at training camp, vocally the opposite of Danny Smith and Mike Tomlin whose voices boom all over campus. But Pittsburgh needed a teacher, a wonky technique guy, to build this group up from the bottom. He might not be the best offensive line coach in the league — he’s no Mike Munchak — but he’s the type of guy this team needed.
#6 – Danny Smith: Special Teams Coordinator
I’ll catch an earful in the comments from those accusing me of bias and placing Smith far too high. And no question, I’ve been a big fan of the guy. He has his warts, and I’ve called them out repeatedly. His units have had blunders, the return game has been lackluster, and Smith has an antiquated view of net average (at least, he did).
Still, the #1 goal of a special teams coordinator is getting players to buy in. You’re taking guys who were largely starters and stars in college now trying to cut their teeth as L3 on kickoffs or making a living as a gunner/jammer on punts. You gotta make guys believe that’s important and valuable because, it is, and is as integral to team success as anything that happens on offense or defense.
Throughout the decade he’s been in Pittsburgh, players have repeatedly praised Smith for getting them to love playing on special teams and he’s turned out quality “teams” guys year after year. He also helped develop the likes of kicker Chris Boswell, who went from unknown to one of the NFL’s best.
Smith largely does his job solo too. As we pointed out last year, Smith’s Steelers are the only team in the league with one coach – him – who carries a STs Coach label. He gets some help, obviously, but it’s largely his show to run. And there’s a lot of moving pieces. Kick coverage, kick return, punt coverage, punt return, field goal, field goal rush, onside kick, and other specialty situations (safety kick, etc). Smith has been coaching special teams since the 90s and I still regard him as one of the better in football, even if his units aren’t perfect.
#5 – Mike Sullivan: Quarterbacks Coach
Sullivan is a little tough to rank, especially knowing he isn’t even the best Mike Sullivan in his own city. But his disciplined nature — he literally served in the Army — makes him a good quarterbacks coach where precision, discipline, and accountability and leadership are all paramount.
In his few years with the team, the Steelers have started several quarterbacks. There should finally be stability this year with Kenny Pickett the team’s obvious starter and his progression after the bye week last year was noticeable. How he develops will probably determine Sullivan’s future rankings. We dove into how he coaches the position and while it was nothing Earth-shattering, it’s foundational that allows quarterbacks to take things piece-by-piece to identify coverages and know where to go with the football.
He’s probably only ever going to be a QBs Coach, his time as OC didn’t go well (he would be the interim option *if* Matt Canada gets fired midseason) but he’s good in his current role.
#4 – Teryl Austin: Defensive Coordinator
Austin’s career resume as DC is spotty. He was fired in Cincinnati well before the season ended after his Bengals defense got shredded, and Mike Tomlin’s influence on the defense makes it difficult to separate when to credit (and blame) Austin.
Still, his strong background as a secondary is notable and he served that role well in Pittsburgh until being promoted to DC in 2022. Austin’s a smart dude with high expectations and the turnover circuit drills he added in practice early in his tenure helped change the mindset in the secondary, even if the talent also improved with additions like FS Minkah Fitzpatrick. He’s a positive guy who preaches good body language and making sure players put the unit ahead of the individual.
Throughout his coaching career, Austin has received a few looks to be a head coach. Though it’s never happened and probably at this point, won’t happen again, he could still receive a couple of interviews if the Steelers have a successful season. An underrated name, he’s a quality coach and person.
#3 – Alfredo Roberts: Tight Ends Coach
Roberts has only been in Pittsburgh since 2021, replacing long-tenured James Daniel, but he’s been coaching in the NFL since the early 2000s. A former NFL tight end with a Super Bowl ring he can bring to locker rooms, he’s made an immediate impact on the unit. A new group that began with second-round pick Pat Freiermuth followed by sixth rounder Connor Heyward last season, these guys have developed well. Just two years in, Freiermuth is already a top 10 tight end while Heyward has carved out a versatile role, even if he isn’t a true in-line guy. Zach Gentry also had his best blocking year in 2021, not a moment too soon as he entered the year on the roster bubble.
Everyone has gotten better under Roberts. He coaches and works these guys hard, too. They’re one of the first groups down at practice and go through drills while everyone else is hanging around the field before the first horn. A young group of players who needed every rep they can get, Roberts doesn’t waste a second on the practice field. The results have paid off.
#2 – Karl Dunbar: Defensive Line Coach
Dunbar has been coaching defensive lines in college or the NFL for longer than some people reading this have been alive, starting at Nicholls State in 1998 after playing the position himself at LSU and then briefly in the NFL. Dunbar had big shoes to fill, replacing legend John Mitchell, but has done a great job. Dunbar doesn’t have the same exact personality, he’s not the drill sergeant Mitchell was, but still sets the bar high and is a very good teacher. The results have been proof of that with Pittsburgh consistently having one of the better d-lines and pass rush groups when not getting crushed by injuries (d-line in 2021, losing Watt in 2022).
Dunbar still holds the values that made Mitchell a top-tier coach: chase after the football and you have to earn the right to rush the passer by first stopping the run. He continued the development of Stephon Tuitt and Javon Hargrave while helping keep Cam Heyward an elite-level player. Dunbar also assumed responsibilities of the EDGE rushers and should receive credit for the development of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. In practice, he is responsible for a large chunk of the roster, the d-line and EDGE guys, to coach at once. It’s a lot of put on one coach’s plate but he’s done well.
Dunbar may never realize his hope of becoming an NFL DC but he’s one of the best “results guys” of any positional coaches in the NFL. His guys just get better.
#1 – Mike Tomlin: Head Coach
I gave serious consideration to bumping Tomlin out of the top spot. I didn’t want to make it a thoughtless layup. And while I believe he’s a quality head coach, I’m probably more frustrated than most Steelers’ analysts when it comes to the team’s recent lack of success. Zero playoff wins since 2017 is unacceptable.
Still, it’s hard to put anyone else in this top spot. Since being hired in 2007, Tomlin’s never lost the locker room and his team has a remarkable resiliency to never say quit. They battle and fight, going from one of the worst teams in the league last year to nearly sneaking into the playoffs. The “never had a losing season” stat drives me up a wall but of course, it’s a mark that can and should be respected just knowing how hard it is to win at the NFL level. Tomlin connects with players well and always know what buttons to push while presenting a steady and calming and confident public presence.
He’s also a better and smarter X’s and O’s guys than given credit for and is a film junkie who loves gaining a winning edge, known for his Friday meetings that cover exactly that topic. He’ll be the Steelers’ head coach until he decides to step down, joining Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher’s career arcs.
