UPDATE (11:07 PM): Per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, Austin has finalized his two-year deal with the Steelers. His new deal will run through the 2025 season.
“Teryl Austin has finalized a two-year deal to return for his third season as the team’s defensive coordinator, as expected, according to team sources.”
Our original story is below.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are finalizing a two-year deal to retain DC Teryl Austin, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Fowler tweeted the news a short time ago.
Hired in 2019 as a defensive backs coach, Austin was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2021, replacing the retired Keith Butler. Though Pittsburgh’s defense battled a slew of injuries in 2023, including missing DL Cam Heyward and FS Minkah Fitzpatrick for roughly half the season, the Steelers still finished the year with the sixth-best scoring defense, allowing under 20 points per game. They also finished near the top of the league in takeaways, a focal point under Austin, and had one of the NFL’s top red zone defenses.
In 2022, the Steelers finished with the tenth-best scoring defense while finishing in the top half of the league in yards allowed. They also tied for the NFL lead in interceptions, picking off 20 passes.
Austin staying in Pittsburgh was an expected move, one reported by The PPG’s Gerry Dulac earlier in the week. Austin was in the final year of his contract with the Steelers.
While Austin carries the title of defensive coordinator, head coach Mike Tomlin has a heavy influence on the Steelers’ defensive game planning and play calling.
A Pittsburgh native, Austin played college football at Pitt. He began his coaching career at Penn State in 1991 before making his jump into the NFL in 2003, serving as the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive backs coach. He first became a defensive coordinator in 2010 with the Florida Gators before becoming an NFL DC in 2014, spending four years in that role with the Detroit Lions. He again was named a defensive coordinator in 2018 with the Cincinnati Bengals but was fired mid-way through the year.
He was hired by Pittsburgh the following year, quickly taking control over the defensive backs room from Tom Bradley before being named the Steelers’ defensive coordinator in 2021.
So far, the Steelers have had one coaching change on defense, losing Assistant DBs Coach Gerald Alexander to the Las Vegas Raiders. He’s been hired as the Raiders’ new safeties coach.
