Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers secondary coach Grady Brown’s contract with the Steelers did expire following the conclusion of the 2024 season, according to Nick Farabaugh of PennLive. Brown had interviewed for the Atlanta Falcons’ defensive coordinator job in January, but did not get the position.
The Steelers have re-hired defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander after a one-year absence, he announced in a post to social media on Friday. As of now, Brown’s future in Pittsburgh is uncertain. It’s unclear what Alexander’s hiring means for Brown.
Brown has been with the Steelers as the team’s secondary coach since 2021, overseeing the acquisition and development of young players such as Joey Porter Jr., Cory Trice and Beanie Bishop.
Before his time with the Steelers, Brown spent the 2020 season as the defensive coordinator at McNeese State, but did not coach in a game, as their season was delayed due to COVID-19. He was the co-defensive coordinator at Old Dominion in 2019, and before that was a position coach at Louisville, South Carolina and Souther Miss.
Brown also previously coached at Alabama State, Birmingham Southern, and Alabama A&M and was an NFL intern with the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs.
Alexander spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons as the Steelers assistant defensive backs coach. He was hired away as the safeties coach for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024. With head coach Antonio Pierce fired, Alexander was not retained in Las Vegas by new head coach Pete Carroll.
He will return to Pittsburgh as defensive backs coach. Grady Brown has been the team’s secondary coach since 2021.
The Steelers also had Anthony Midget on their staff as assistant secondary coach in 2024, and defensive quality control coach Jason Brooks worked with the slot cornerbacks at times.
Alexander, a former NFL safety for the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, joined the Steelers’ staff in 2022 on the recommendation of Brian Flores, who he had worked for in Miami.
Alexander usually working with the safeties and slot cornerbacks when he was in Pittsburgh the first time around. He coached Minkah Fitzpatrick to an All-Pro selection in 2022 and consecutive Pro Bowl nominations, as well as helped keep the Steelers’ safety position intact in the face of a huge slate of injuries in 2023, with Fitzpatrick, Keanu Neal, Trenton Thompson, Elijah Riley all missing time and Damontae Kazee serving a three-game suspension.
Before his two seasons with the Dolphins under Flores, Alexander coached at Arkansas State, Washington, Indiana State, Montana State and California at the collegiate level and interned with the Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Alan Saunders contributed reporting for this story.
