It was a tale of two halves for the Steelers once again. Almost every season it seems like they are good during one half of the year and the rest is terrible. That happened once again, but this time seemed different. Not only did the offense fall apart, but their defensive counterparts also sunk. Mike Tomlin will have a plethora of issues straying away from those who are calling for his job.
Despite the late-season collapse, expect Tomlin to be back. The long-time Steelers head coach remains one of the best coaches in football, but he is also a failure when the playoffs arrive. Because of that, Pittsburgh is tired of the same story that plays out in front of their eyes each year. This latest failure will cost coaches their jobs. It happened last offseason, and it is bound to happen once again.
When it comes to sending out the staff's report card, many didn't have great grades this season. From the top down, there were issues across the board. Some coaches had better games than others, but still, most of them left you wanting more.
The Steelers' coaching staff will need to watch their backs in the coming weeks as their job security could be brought into question moving forward. Here are my grades for Steelers' primary coaches in 2024.
Mike Tomlin's grade: D
Starting with the top guy in Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin was on track to becoming a Coach of the Year candidate when the bye week hit. Many forgot that he was gaining substantial praise before the holidays hit. After that, everything fell apart. The master motivator that Tomlin is described as shriveled up. His five-game losing streak to end the season is a new low, even for Tomlin's standards.
Arthur Smith's grade: C
You can say Arthur Smith just had to show signs of improvement over Matt Canada and he would be seen as a success. In that regard, Smith did a decent job in his first year as Steelers offensive coordinator. With that being said, he had limited talent to work with, and he made some poor calls throughout the campaign. Smith isn't terrific, but he did get the offense to look competent again.
READ MORE: 10 possible Arthur Smith replacements if the OC leaves the Steelers
Teryl Austin's grade: D
When you look at possible coaches on the hot seat, look no further than Teryl Austin. The defensive coordinator has been in Pittsburgh since 2022, his two past years as their coordinator. When it comes to the Steelers, the defensive coordinator spot is a figurehead for Tomlin running the show. Austin hasn't done much to help their defense, and the group's collapse could cost his job.
Danny Smith's grade: B
If there was one bright spot on Pittsburgh's coaching staff this season it was Danny Smith. Their long-time special team's coordinator has gotten some flack throughout the years, but he had a stretch this season where he was the best in the NFL. He brought out some smart plays to make the third phase of football impactful. Smith deserves a lot of credit for what he accomplished this year for the Steelers.