The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't just hire a new head coach this offseason; they washed their hands of Mike Tomlin's old coaching staff. Mike McCarthy rounded out his hires with coaches he had worked with closely over the years. One former Mike Tomlin hire who didn't make the cut was Teryl Austin.
Austin, a long-time defensive coach in the NFL, was a defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals before joining the Steelers as an assistant. In 2022, Austin was promoted to Pittsburgh's DC job, where he would spend the next four years.
Unfortunately for Austin, McCarthy wasted no time turning the page from his coordinators. In came Patrick Graham—the former Raiders' defensive coordinator—and out went Austin.
On Thursday, Austin finally landed back on his feet with an NFC team, joining the Arizona Cardinals as a senior defensive assistant, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported. With most NFL coaching staffs in place, Austin was fortunate to grab a job on a team's staff for the 2026 season. Now Austin will look to repair his reputation and revive his career.
The Pittsburgh Steelers made the right decision moving on from DC Teryl Austin
Austin's time in Pittsburgh had run its course—there's no doubt about that. After four years as the team's defensive coordinator, the Steelers' defense had steadily declined, becoming a below-average unit in 2025.
Last year, Austin's defense ranked 26th in yards allowed and 17th in points allowed. This came despite heavy draft and financial investments (the Steelers had the most expensive defense in the NFL in 2025).
Surprisingly, since becoming a defensive coordinator in 2014, Austin hasn't produced a top-10 total defense since his first year as a DC with the Lions.
Austin's questionable game plan came under fire as the Steelers' defensive coordinator over the past two seasons. A few games quickly come to mind—his egregious 2025 plan to slow down Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro receiver Ja'Marr Chase in 2025 (Chase recorded 16 receptions on 23 targets). Or how Austin deployed light personnel groupings against the Ravens' jumbo offensive sets in the 2024 playoff loss.
Fortunately for him, Austin was given a shot at redemption. Now 61, Austin may have seen his last days as an NFL defensive coordinator—especially considering his underwhelming track record. But at least he's on an NFL coaching staff. Steelers fans won't lose any sleep over that.