Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson has quickly found his next stop. The Seattle Seahawks are hiring him as their next receivers coach, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
With his contract expiring, Pittsburgh parted ways with Jackson after the 2023 season. Hired ahead of 2022, he spent two years coaching the Steelers’ receivers. While George Pickens improved his game and had an 1,100-yard season as a sophomore, the immaturity in the receiver room was too often a headline and it didn’t seem like Jackson controlled the situation well, even if it wasn’t fully in his control. Pickens was criticized for lazy route running while both had displays of poor effort on the field and antics off it.
Pittsburgh also lacked a strong third wide receiver though they didn’t invest much, trading for possession WR Allen Robinson II, getting Calvin Austin III healthy after missing his rookie year, and rostering special teamer Miles Boykin.
Jackson has served as a long-time coach at the college and NFL level. After wrapping up a professional career with the Cleveland Browns, he broke into coaching at the college ranks with Western Illinois in 2008. He landed his first NFL job with the Tennessee Titans in 2017, serving as the team’s receiver coach, before going back to college and Baylor for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. He returned to the NFL with the Carolina Panthers in 2020 before being hired by Pittsburgh in 2022.
Now, he’ll serve on new head coach Mike Macdonald’s coaching staff, hired away from Baltimore after serving as the team’s defensive coordinator. Replacing Pete Carroll, Seattle did not retain WRs Coach Sanjay Lal, who followed Jim Harbaugh to the Los Angeles Chargers as their new receivers coach.
After parting ways with Jackson, the Steelers hired former New York Jets’ wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni as his replacement. A tough-love kind of coach, it’s clear the type of influence Pittsburgh is looking for in their wide receiver room. In addition to Azzanni, the Steelers have also hired OC Arthur Smith and offensive assistant Mateo Kambui this offseason.
