The 5 best defensive coordinators in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers

You can't have some of the best defenses in the history of the NFL without a few brilliant defensive coordinators. Just like they have been masterminds when it comes to finding defensive talent in the NFL Draft over the years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a rich history of defensive coordinators who have led the charge.

Some of these coordinators who have worn the headset and called defensive plays for the Steelers are considered among the best in the history of the league... and rightfully so. Their defenses reached historic marks, and they have the Super Bowl hardware to prove it.

As far as coaching goes, there isn't much that will top having just three Super Bowl-winning head coaches since the NFL merger, but their rich history of mastermind defensive coordinators comes close.

Though the Steelers were established in 1933, they didn't hire their first official defensive coordinator until Buster Ramsey in 1962. Since then, we have seen a few legends grace the halls of Acrisure Stadium.

Criteria for selection

Ranking the top defensive coordinators in Pittsburgh Steelers history wasn't easy, and it required a lot of research. One of the biggest factors considered was how well their respective defenses performed at their peak compared to the rest of the league and what results it helped yield for the team.

Additionally, the longevity and consistent results on the defensive side of the ball during their tenure with the Steelers were considered. Those who could produce top defenses for an extended period of time received a boost in the rankings.

I also considered the reasons why each defensive coordinator left the team. Many had short tenures as the team's DC because they were promoted to bigger roles -- either with the Steelers or another team.

Each coach's leadership qualities and intangibles were factored into the criteria. To qualify for a ranking, a coach must have held a defensive coordinator position with the Steelers for a minimum of one season.

The top 5 defensive coordinators in Pittsburgh Steelers history

5. Woody Widenhofer

Woody Widenhofer was Pittsburgh's defensive coordinator who capped off the Super Bowl era and the Steel Curtain defense of the 1970s. The former Georgia Tech head coach accepted the Steelers' DC job in 1979 and picked up right where the Super Bowl-winning team left off.

Widenhofer's defense ranked 2nd in yards allowed and 5th in points allowed during the '79 season. The year concluded with Pittsburgh hoisting their fourth Lombardi Trophy. Over the next two seasons, the Steel Curtain defense started to dissolve and their efficiency dropped.

Widenhofer gave the team one more excellent year in 1983 (3rd in yards allowed, 7th in scoring defense) before taking a head coaching job with the USFL Outlaws. He eventually returned to the NFL as the DC of the Detroit Lions from 1989 to 1992. In five years as the Steelers' defensive coordinator., Widenhofer recorded two top-ten defenses and earned a Super Bowl win while his team had a 3-0 record in the postseason.

4. George J. Perles

George J. Perles' tenure as the Steelers' defensive coordinator was brief but spectacular. The long-time college football coach became Pittsburgh's defensive line coach in 1972 before being promoted to the Steelers' defensive coordinator in 1978.

Perles had just one season in this role, quite frankly because the results were so incredible. During his lone season as Pittsburgh's DC, his defense finished 1st in the NFL in points allowed and 3rd in the NFL in yards allowed.

This dominant performance aided the Steelers to a 14-2 season that was capped off with a Super Bowl win. This is still considered one of the best seasons in NFL history. After a spectacular performance as the team's defensive coordinator, the Steelers promoted Perles to assistant head coach, where he spent the next three seasons before taking a head coaching job at Michigan State in 1983.

3. Dom Capers

You don't get a 24-year career as a defensive coordinator and head coach in the NFL unless you offer something special. For Dom Capers, that niche was as a defensive play-caller. While his head coaching tenures with the Panthers (1995-1998) and Texans (2002-2005) didn't go as planned, Capers always had a reputation as a brilliant defensive mind.

This began with his outstanding work as the Steelers' defensive coordinator from 1992 to 1994. When Capers joined the team, Pittsburgh had not produced a 10-win season in eight years and they were coming off a 7-9 record. In '92, Capers' defense finished 2nd in points allowed as he aided the Steelers to an 11-win season and a playoff appearance.

Capers' defense was just as strong the following year, and in 1994, the Steelers finished 12-4 and made an appearance in the AFC title game. This was largely thanks to a defense that ranked 2nd in both points allowed and yards allowed.

After a spectacular three-year stretch, Capers was offered the Panthers' head coaching job, which ended his three-year tenure in Pittsburgh.

2. Bud Carson

While Bud Carson coached arguably the most talented defense in the history of professional football, I'm not taking away the credit he deserves for his impressive body of work. In his first year as the Steelers' defensive coordinator in 1972, Carson's defense finished 8th in yards allowed and 2nd in points allowed.

Two years later, the league's top-ranked defense won back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1974 and 1975. Interestingly, Carson's defense in '76 ranked 1st in both points and yards, but the team fell short of expectations with a loss in the AFC Championship Game.

Following the 1977 season, Carson decided it was time for a change of scenery he took the job as the Rams' defensive coordinator where his team finished with a top-five defense once again. Carson spent 21 seasons as a defensive coordinator in the NFL and two as a head coach before retiring after the 1997 season.

1. Dick LeBeau

Thanks to his leadership, longevity, and outstanding resume, Dick LeBeau is widely regarded as a top-five defensive coordinator in NFL history. LeBeau became famous for his 'fire zone' 3-4 defense that routinely confused opposing quarterbacks and offensive coordinators.

LeBeau first took the Steelers' defensive coordinator job in 1995 and produced a top-ten defense in back-to-back years before serving as the DC of the Cincinnati Bengals from 1997-2002. After this, he served one year as the Bills' assistant head coach before returning to Pittsburgh.

In his first year back as the defensive coordinator of the Steelers in 2004, LeBeau's defense finished 1st in the NFL in both points allowed and yards allowed. From 2004-2012 LeBeau had a top-ten defense every year while developing two Defensive Player of the Year award winners (Troy Polamalu and James Harrison) and winning two Super Bowls.

Pittsburgh's defense was an average unit over LeBeau's final two seasons in 2013 and 2014, and his contract was not renewed by the team. However, his eight-year stretch prior to this was one of the most dominant displays we have ever seen from an NFL coordinator. LeBeau, a Hall of Fame defensive back, had a sweet moment when he presented Troy Polamalu in the Hall of Fame in the class of 2020.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.

The 5 best defensive coordinators in Pittsburgh Steelers history by number of seasons with top 5 defense

Defensive rankings were calculated by taking the average NFL rank of points allowed and yards allowed in a given season. If the average of these two statistical categories ranks in the top five, this constitutes a top-five defense.