The Pittsburgh Steelers will be in the market for a new wide receivers coach as the team is parting ways with Frisman Jackson, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Jackson served as Pittsburgh’s receivers coach for each of the past two seasons after replacing Ike Hilliard. With the team hiring offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Jackson will become the first staff change on offense with Smith running the show.
The team has also started interviewing candidates to replace strength coach Marcel Pastoor and assistant strength coach Rodain Delus, who will not return to the organization in 2024.
Prior to the Steelers, Jackson worked as a wide receivers coach with the Carolina Panthers. Prior to his stint in Carolina from 2020-21, he was at Baylor as the Bears’ receivers coach. He also worked in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans as their wide receivers coach in 2017. He will now be on the market for a new job with a return to college possible.
As far as other staff changes go, Dulac said the defensive coaching staff should remain intact except for finding a replacement for assistant defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander, who took a job as safeties coach with the Las Vegas Raiders. He also said the status of quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan is uncertain, although after failing to land an offensive coordinator job, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he returned to the organization.
Jackson was in charge of a wide receiver room that saw a surge in production from wide receiver George Pickens in 2023, but both Pickens and wide receiver Diontae Johnson displayed effort issues at times, which can’t happen from a team’s top two wideouts. With the Steelers going in a different direction at offensive coordinator under Smith, they’ll now look to bring in a new wide receivers coach.
One name that will surely be linked to Pittsburgh is former Steelers wideout Hines Ward, who was recently replaced as head coach of the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas and was an offensive intern with the Steelers in 2017. He also served as an offensive assistant for the New York Jets and wide receivers coach at FAU.
As always, we’ll keep you updated with potential candidates as the Steelers continue to make changes to their coaching staff. The team’s next receivers coach will be its third in four seasons as Hilliard only lasted one season in Pittsburgh and Jackson made it just two before parting ways with the team. It’ll be an important hire as the Steelers look to get the most out of Johnson and Pickens and take their passing game to the next level.
