The Pittsburgh Steelers are about to undergo greater change than in a single offseason than this team has seen in nearly two decades. Massive moves have already been made, and the coaching staff looks as different as anyone could have expected in the post-Mike Tomlin era.
Shortly after Tomlin stepped down after a nineteen-year run as head coach of the Steelers, team president Art Rooney II and general manager Omar Khan decided to hire long-time head coach of the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, Mike McCarthy.
McCarthy's initial Steelers press conference was inspiring, and shortly after, the 62-year-old began assembling his new coaching staff for the 2026 season.
2026 Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff additions (and returning coaches)
- Head Coach: Mike McCarthy
- Offensive Coordinator: Brian Angelichio
- Defensive Coordinator: Patrick Graham
- Assistant Head Coach/Secondary Coach: Joe Whitt Jr.
- Senior Offensive Assistant: Frank Cignetti Jr.
- Offensive Line Coach: James Campen
- Assistant Offensive Line Coach: Jahri Evans
- Running Backs Coach: Ramon Chinyoung Sr.
- Wide Receivers Coach: Adam Henry
- Quarterbacks Coach: Tom Arth (Retained)
- Defensive Line Coach: Domata Peko
- Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/DBs: Jason Simmons
- Inside Linebackers Coach: Scott McCurley (Retained)
- Outside Linebackers Coach: Shawn Howe
- Defensive Quality Control: Pat Reilly
- Chief of Staff: Steve Scarnecchia
- Head of Athletic Performance: Abe Munayer
- Special Teams Coordinator: Danny Crossman
McCarthy is not only the Pittsburgh Steelers coach leading the charge on game day, but he will also be the team's offensive play-caller—a duty he relinquished just once during his head coaching career. But since then, he's vowed to be the man calling the shots on offense.
The Steelers hired Minnesota Vikings passing game coordinator and tight ends coach Brian Angelichio as their new offensive coordinator. Angelichio spent time together with McCarthy in Green Bay. He's best known for his work as a tight ends coach for over a decade in the NFL.
McCarthy's top hire on the defensive side of the ball is Patrick Graham, the team's new defensive coordinator. After beginning his coaching career as an assistant at the collegiate level, Graham has compiled 17 years of coaching experience in the NFL. Graham spent the past seven seasons as a defensive coordinator for three teams—the Dolphins, Giants, and Raiders.
Graham hasn't produced top-ranked defensive units as a DC, but his defenses have routinely outperformed expectations with Las Vegas. Graham will take the place of Teryl Austin, whose defenses in Pittsburgh continued to trend in the wrong direction over the past two seasons.
Moments after the Angelichio signing was announced, reports surfaced that the Steelers were naming Joe Whitt Jr. as their assistant head coach and secondary coach. Whitt's defenses struggled over the past two seasons as DC of the Washington Commanders, but his secondaries have a rich history of creating takeaways—Most notably during his days as the defensive backs coach of the Packers.
On the offensive side of the ball, James Campen—who worked with McCarthy for over a decade in Green Bay—was hired to be the Steelers' new offensive line coach, taking the place of Pat Meyer. New assistant OL coach Jahri Evans will join Campen. Evans, who has an impressive resume as a former four-time First-Team All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowl guard, was the assistant OL coach for the Saints in 2025.
With the departure of well-respected defensive line coach Karl Dunbar, the Steelers have hired Domata Peko as the new DL coach. Peko, a former long-time NFL starting defensive tackle of the Cincinnati Bengals, coached one year with McCarthy in Dallas in 2024 before spending the 2025 season under Deion Sanders on Colorado's coaching staff.
While quarterback coach Tom Arth has been retained on McCarthy's coaching staff, the Steelers have new faces coaching their skill positions. Ramon Chinyoung Sr. will be the new running back coach, taking the place of Eddie Faulkner, while Adam Henry—who's coming from the Buffalo Bills' coaching staff—will replace Zach Azzanni as the new wide receiver coach.
On defense, Scotty McCurley, who was hired to be the inside linebackers coach in 2025, is being retained by McCarthy for the 2026 season. He will be joined by newcomer defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach Jason Simmons.
The Pittsburgh Steelers also hired Danny Crossman as their special teams coordinator—who was previously the special teams coach of the Miami Dolphins—and Steve Scarnecchia as their chief of staff.