Carnell Lake resigns from Pittsburgh Steelers

Long-time defensive backs coach, Carnell Lake, has informed the team he is stepping down.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had one of the strongest coaching staffs in the NFL for decades. On the defensive end, this unit of coaches has been even more unbreakable. But this offseason, the team will be looking for a new defensive backs coach.

This isn’t because of a problem with the coaches or players, but family circumstances. Lake’s youngest son is about to finish his final year of high school this fall. With Lake being in Pittsburgh during football months, he usually has to miss his son’s football season.

So, Lake has decided to walk away from the Steelers and focus his attention on his son’s final year of high school sports in California.

This means head coach, Mike Tomlin, will be looking to hire a new coach as soon as possible. So far, contenders haven’t been named and likely won’t this week. Come the following weeks, though, Tomlin and Keith Butler should have a group of coaches they’re considering for the position.

How this is going to effect young players like Artie Burns and Cameron Sutton is still yet to be known. Hopefully, the team can bring in an experienced coach to work with these young athletes and continue to build their skill.

With so much talent on the defensive end coming back this season, and most-likely another rookie defensive back or two, Pittsburgh will be hoping to bring in someone who has proven to work with young talent.

Next: Steelers 2017 offseason moves were hit and miss

This story should become one of Pittsburgh’s biggest of the offseason for the time being. As the team tries to find a way to secure Le’Veon Bell for the future and turn their focus on the NFL Draft, replacing Lake will become a priority as well. Who they’ll find to do so, though, still remains a question.