Steelers Now
Head coach Mike Tomlin’s departure doesn’t mean the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff is leaving.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are now looking for a new head coach after Mike Tomlin announced his resignation on Tuesday. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the entire coaching staff is following him out the door.
According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tomlin’s departure doesn’t mean the Steelers will implode their coaching staff. Pittsburgh retained defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and defensive coordinator Keith Butler, among others, when Tomlin replaced Bill Cowher.
Don't assume Mike Tomlin's departure means the Steelers will implode the coaching staff. They kept Dick LeBeau, Bruce Arians, Keith Butler and others when Tomlin was hired after Bill Cowher retired.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) January 13, 2026
That will unlikely be the case for Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, who’s defense largely disappointed this season while allowing the seventh-most total yards per game (356.9) and nearly 23 points per game.
Austin’s contract is also set to expire at the end of the 2025 season, which the team will likely use to part ways with him.
The same cannot be said for offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, though. Smith’s play calling was sometimes questionable, but he had more success than what many expected him to have given the limited amount of playmakers of the Steelers offense.
As a result, Smith has been receiving interest for some of the league’s nine head coach openings, most recently, being asked to interview with the Tennessee Titans, with whom he served as their offensive coordinator from 2019-20.
If Smith does not ultimately land another head coaching gig, Pittsburgh could very well decide to bring him back with whoever its next head coach is.
One of Smith’s best attributes throughout his career has been finding the strength of the offense and leaning into it to diminish its weaknesses. That could be very valuable with what could be a rookie quarterback under center next season.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Won’t Necessarily Clean Coaching Staff After Mike Tomlin’s Departure
