As we did last week with new Pittsburgh Steelers defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander, we’re diving into the background and philosophy of new inside linebackers coach Scott McCurley. He replaces Aaron Curry, whose contract was not renewed and was hired by Aaron Glenn and the New York Jets for the same role.
Information on McCurley isn’t as widespread as coaches we’ve profiled in the past. But we’ll offer background on his playing days, his coaching days, and touch on his scheme/philosophy.
Scott McCurley – The Football Player
A western Pennsylvania native, McCurley grew up in New Castle a little north of the city. He attended Mohawk Area High School before walking onto Pitt as a linebacker in 1999. He shined brightest in one game, helping the Panthers beat Notre Dame in 1999 for the school’s first win over the Irish since Craig ‘Ironhead’ Heyward and the Panthers upset No. 4 ND in 1987.
In a 37-27 victory, McCurley came up with two clutch plays. A blocked field goal, running free up the middle and taking it off his facemask, and crucial late-game interception off a tipped past to help secure the win. I’ve clipped both below (the blocked FG came before the interception, but I have it backwards in the clip).
Injuries forced McCurley into the lineup as a freshman when he saw the bulk of his college playing time. His player page doesn’t show him registering any action in 2000 or 2001 with no stats collected in 2002, though data was less accessible than today.
It’s worth noting some of the teammates and coaches he was around at the time and the Pennsylvania/Steelers ties they had. Walt Harris served as head coach throughout McCurley’s career. For the 1999 season, current Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti was on staff as tight ends coach and Joe Moorehead, a Pa. native regarded as an offensive guru who is now the head coach at Akron, served as grad assistant. Fellow Pa. native Bob Ligashesky worked as the Panthers’ tight ends and special teams coach from 2000-2003. He would be hired by Mike Tomlin in 2007 as part of his first staff, coaching the Steelers’ special teams through 2009.
Notable teammates McCurley had included CB Hank Poteat, who was drafted by the Steelers in 2000, and RB Kevan Barlow, another local player who spent time on Pittsburgh’s offseason and camp roster in 2007.
Scott McCurley – Coaching Background
McCurley’s playing days would end after the 2002 season. He immediately broke into coaching, hired by Pitt as a grad assistant, a role he served in from 2003-2005. His NFL break came early in his coaching journey. When Pittsburgh native Mike McCarthy was hired by the Green Bay Packers as their head coach in 2006, he brought McCurley onboard. It’s not fully clear the connection between the two beyond their local roots, though McCarthy coached at Pitt in the late 80s/early 90s and surely kept ties to the school.
In a 2006 interview with the New Castle News, McCurley discussed the difficulty of leaving Pitt but the excitement of joining the NFL.
“I’ll be breaking down scouting, going on the field and helping chart plays and just about everything,” McCurley, 25, said. “I’m more than a part-time worker, so they decided to call the position an internship even though it has nothing to do with school.”
“It was tough leaving the program,” McCurley said. “It is a great tradition, and it meant a lot to me to be a part of that. It’s sad to leave, but this is a very exciting time. I’d love to stay at this level as long as I can.”
It was the same year McCurley got married, making for a whirlwind of a time.
McCurley’s relationship with McCarthy is the most notable aspect of his coaching journey. Until taking the Steelers’ job, McCurley had only worked with McCarthy as head coach at the NFL level. The two were together for the entirety of McCarthy’s time in Green Bay, 2006-2018, and McCarthy hired McCurley after taking the Dallas Cowboys job in 2020. He spent the last five seasons there before McCarthy and the Cowboys parted ways following the 2024 season.
As additional background, McCurley was first hired in what he called an intern-esque role. He stayed on staff and climbed the coaching ladder, named defensive quality control coach in 2009. That’s a gopher-like role doing anything and everything the coaching staff asked. Often, the job involves advanced game planning of a future opponent or a situational-specific report (third down, red zone, etc).
When Packers outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene stepped down after the 2014 season, McCurley earned a promotion to assistant linebackers coach. There was initial speculation McCurley could be in the running to replace him but the team opted to consolidate Greene’s role and give him Winston Moss the blanket title of linebackers coach. Reports differ if McCurley worked more with the inside of outside linebackers. Some say inside while this article notes during at least one practice, McCurley coached up the outside linebackers.
McCurley stayed in his role through the rest of McCarthy’s Green Bay tenure. Almost. After the 2017 season in which Green Bay finished 7-9 and 26th in points allowed, McCurley was initially let go as the defensive coaching staff was sacked (this ESPN article refers to him as the inside linebackers coach, which appears to be an unofficial title but reflective of the position he primarily coached). Others fired included DC Dom Capers and DL Coach Mike Trgovac. But in an unusual turn of events, less than three weeks later, McCurley was hired back. The reasons for his firing and re-hiring are unclear. His title seemed to change, listed as a defensive assistant in 2018, while future NFL DC Patrick Graham was brought in to coach linebackers.
But that lasted just one more season as McCarthy and the Packers divorced before the 2018 season ended. For the first time since the 80s, McCarthy wasn’t coaching.
As was told after McCarthy was hired in 2020 by the Cowboys, 2019 was an interesting year that truly showed McCurley’s loyalty. McCarthy created what was dubbed the “The McCarthy Project.” An inner circle of his closest coaching relationships spent the season watching tape, observing trends, and looking at the league from a big-picture perspective. The group consisted of McCarthy, Frank Cignetti Jr., Jim Haslett, and McCurley.
They dubbed themselves the “33rd Team” and McCurley spent the year out of work besides his unpaid weekly meetings with McCarthy and crew. For McCurley, that meant turning down a job offer from LSU to be a defensive analyst. A feature piece from the Cowboys’ website laid it out well.
“After parting ways with Green Bay, McCarthy decided that he would dedicate his time to studying film, researching analytics, and understanding what innovations various teams are using to find success. He and a small circle of coaches, including McCurley, formed what was deemed ‘The McCarthy Project.’ The thinking was that the former Packers coach would get another shot at running an NFL team, and when that happened, he and a few select people he wanted around him would be ready.
But as the 2019 season came around and McCarthy was still unemployed, sticking with him meant having patience in something not guaranteed. McCurley and his wife have two children, and he admitted that there were some ‘scary times.’ He was offered a position on the LSU staff as an analyst, which would have earned him a national championship, but he turned it down.
“I didn’t know at first how it would work out, but I knew I trusted in Mike,” McCurley said. “I knew the kind of coach he was, the kind of person he was. I was confident that he would get another opportunity, and that’s who I wanted to be with.”
An ESPN article offered more details of McCurley’s job description during that year layoff.
“You’re updating this as you’re working, but what’s been really good is there’s a large volume of computer files I did not have access to and we went back and scanned all that stuff to computer files,” McCarthy says back at The Barn. “The process of doing that is healthy because it’s a new addition. Scotty has been helping with me that.”
As did Football Scoop.
“Every week he and his coaching buddies put together a ‘trends tape’ to study the latest schemes around the league being implemented, and that is just one of their many objectives when they get together.”
McCurley’s loyalty was rewarded. McCarthy was hired as the Cowboys’ head coach in 2020 and when the entire coaching staff was released, McCurley became the team’s linebackers coach. A role he kept from 2020-2024. Now, he replaces Curry in Pittsburgh.
Scott McCurley – Coaching Philosophy/Scheme
Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of information out there on McCurley’s philosophy. It’s worth noting he’s coached under several smart, defensive-minded coordinators: Dom Capers, Dan Quinn, and Mike Zimmer are examples There are several videos interviewing McCurley during his time in Dallas but much of it was player-specific and less relevant to big-picture scheme.
Shortly after being hired, McCurley was asked to describe his coaching personality and style.
“I’d love to think I’m the same every day. I’m demanding but I like to keep within my personality. I love the work. I love everything about the coaching. Being on the field, being with players, I just try to be the same every day.”
He’s repeatedly discussed the need to communicate well and be on the same page, a basic requirement for any unit, but one he’s still spoken about as a “must.” It came midway through the 2024 season when the Cowboys’ unit was struggling, taking responsibility and vowing the group would improve.
“You can never have nine, ten guys doing what they need to do and one guy not doing what they’re supposed to do…it’s gotta show up and we gotta get it done. We gotta coach it better.”
McCurley’s also spent plenty of time discussing the importance and value linebackers who can cover bring, including during the 2023 NFL Draft.
“I think when you talk about versatility as a linebacker. To keep linebackers on the field, at some point you gotta cover.”
And again in the same interview immediately above.
“In the end, the ability to cover and the understanding of coverage and having the instinct off of the ball is really what can kind of separate you in the end.”
During that conversation, he also described what he looked for in a Dallas Cowboys linebacker after drafting DeMarvion Overshown, though the answer was boilerplate.
“He runs and he hits and he’s aggressive. That’s a mindset we’re looking for.”
Finally, McCurley is used to coaching up safeties-turned-linebackers. That’s more of a Dan Quinn thing but in 2021, Keanu Neal shifted from strong safety to linebacker (and back to SS when Pittsburgh signed him in 2023). In 2023 when injuries rocked the Cowboys’ inside linebacker depth, much like it did Pittsburgh, S Markquese Bell shifted down to linebacker and logged 649 defensive snaps. McCurley repeatedly spoke highly of him. Bell will be a restricted free agent this offseason. We’ll see if the new-look Dallas coaching staff tenders him or not.
Though it only tells you so much, McCurley has coached several notable linebackers throughout his career. Packers fourth-round pick Blake Martinez in 2016 emerged as a full-time starter and led the league with 144 tackles in 2017, though tackles alone isn’t an indication of stellar play. McCurley was on staff and helped Clay Matthews make the brief transition from outside to inside linebacker in 2014-2015, sent to the Pro Bowl both years. In Dallas, Overshown had a nice 2024 season with 90 tackles and five sacks while rookie Marist Liufau seemed to hold his own. McCurley seems to like and highlight off-ball linebackers who can blitz.
I wasn’t able to find much commentary of players discussing McCurley, but rookie LB Shaun Lewis mentioned him in this 2014 piece when asked who has helped him most.
“Really two guys, Sam Barrington and A.J. Hawk have helped me out. Brad Jones has said some things to me. And (linebackers coach Scott) McCurley is an awesome coach, and he’s breaking things down for me and making things a lot easier for me.”
Lewis never appeared in a game but was a longshot as an undersized UDFA.
Scott McCurley – Final Thoughts
It would’ve been preferable to learn more about Scott McCurley’s ideals and how he coaches and teaches, even understanding he’s not handpicking this roster. If Elandon Roberts re-signs, he should inherit the top of a linebacker room that looks no different than 2024 with Roberts alongside Payton Wilson and Patrick Queen. Perhaps changes come to the bottom with Tyler Matakevich a pending free agent.
Most of what’s out there on McCurley are his close ties to Mike McCarthy. On Wednesday’s Terrible Podcast, Joe Clark posed an interesting question of: what happens should McCarthy get hired in 2026, a realistic possibility? Would McCarthy try to poach McCurley? It’s a logical thought though I tend to think that given McCurley will be under contract and in his hometown, McCarthy will be less inclined to do that and McCurley would be less interested in leaving.
Like anyone else, McCurley should be given a chance. He’s a veteran coaching in the NFL for nearly 20 years and perhaps Pittsburgh wanted that after hiring Curry, only a couple years into coaching and his first linebackers coach job. There are benefits to switching to a vet.
Though I take it with a grain of salt, I know Dallas fans weren’t happy with the job McCurley did. Many feel he’s had his jobs because of McCarthy and it’s worth noting no NFL team offered him a job after 2018, only receiving that analyst offer from LSU.
Time will tell but I’m largely underwhelmed by this hire and prefer the Alexander move instead.
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