Steelers potential replacements at defensive coordinator if Teryl Austin gets fired

John Fox could bring a ton of experience for the Steelers defense

If the Steelers decided to stay in the thought process of adding someone with a lot of defensive experience in the NFL, look no further than John Fox. He was with the club from 1986 through 1991 in a couple of different coaching roles. He would go on to become a good defensive coordinator and have Head coaching jobs too.

Fox took a five-year hiatus after being fired by the Bears in their top job. He has been with a couple of clubs since 2022 as a Senior defensive assistant. He is older, so talking him into the job might be something that needs to be accomplished. Fox has a ton of experience if the black and gold were looking to add someone with that kind of resume.

Kelvin Sheppard is a young defensive minded coach that could improve this team

With Detroit being favored to win their division for the first time in a while, many different coaches on the Lions staff will be in line for promotions. One name to watch not only for the Steelers potential opening as defensive coordinator, but other top jobs around the NFL is Kelvin Sheppard. He is currently Detroit's inside linebackers coach, and he has also coached their outside linebackers.

Going with a younger option here as Sheppard is only 35 years old and had a solid career as a linebacker in the NFL before retiring in 2018. He is a young coach who brings a ton of spirit and tenacity with him. Tomlin would love the way he attacks the day, and Pittsburgh usually likes a guy that Tomlin could overrule, so Sheppard might be a good option in that regard.