In looking back at the 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers season, it would be a campaign that should be considered a failure. So much was riding on all the new players brought in with a laser focus on quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The future hall of fame QB was supposed to be the key to the Steelers snapping the playoff drought of five straight first round playoff losses. But the Houston Texans kept that streak going by keeping Pittsburgh at home beating them in the wild card round.
Shortly after the season ended, Mike Tomlin ended his coaching tenure with the Steelers after 19 straight winning seasons. It turns out that had been his plan for several years. Apparently, he was just waiting for the right time. Without a doubt, the end of this past season was the right time. Steelers Nation had grown tired of seeing the same results year after year and also quite simply, Tomlin’s demeanor and philosophy. It was due time for a change.
Team president Art Rooney wasted no time finding Tomlin’s replacement. It was Pittsburgh born Mike McCarthy. While many in Steelers Nation wanted Rooney to hire a younger and less experienced coach from around the NFL, perhaps one of the more popular coordinators, Rooney wanted a homeboy and someone with proven results. That would be Mike McCarthy. A Super Bowl winning coach with the Green Bay Packers (ironically beating the Steelers and with Aaron Rodgers), McCarthy also had winning seasons in Dallas as the Cowboys’ head coach.
Mike McCarthy was born on November 10, 1963, in the Greenfield section of Pittsburgh. Before Mike Tomlin became coach, Bill Cowher was the head coach for many years, and he too hailed from the ‘Burgh. So now McCarthy returns to his roots and he is excited. For him it is a lifelong dream to be the head coach of the team he grew up with. While our new head coach never played in the NFL he was once a tight end who played for the Scottsdale Community College in Arizona. After transferring to Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas there he was a two-time all-conference tight end. He was the captain of that team in 1986, and his team finished second in the NAIA Division II playoffs.
Mike McCarthy has a long coaching history that began in 1987 as a graduate assistant at Fort Hays State College. He also coached at the University of Pittsburgh before getting a job with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was the quarterbacks coach for Green Bay for one season until he was named offensive coordinator for the Saints. He held that same role with San Francisco until he was named head coach in Green Bay in 2006 where he would stay until he got fired in 2018.
From 2020 to 2024 he called the shots in Dallas. Now he is our man of the moment in Pittsburgh. With Tomlin calling it a career with the Steelers Dan Rooney and Omar Khan made the decision to allow McCarthy to name his own staff. In the end, the new head coach overhauled the entire coaching staff retaining just a few of Tomlin’s original staff but putting together a coaching staff comprised of 24 men.
Here is the lineup of coaches and a brief summary and opinion on each.
Offensive Coordinator
Brian Angelichio
For the 2026 season the Steelers will be coming out with an offense not led by Arthur Smith. Instead, Brian Angelichio takes over after spending four seasons as the Passing Game Coordinator and Tight Ends Coach for the Minnesota Vikings. He was with the Green Bay Packers as their Tight Ends Coach in each of the seasons back in 2016, 2017, and 2018 when Mike McCarthy was the head coach. Therefore, our new head coach knows him well. McCarthy would not have hired Angelichio if he didn’t trust his coaching skills and knowledge.
Angelichio also has plenty of college coaching experience and has worked on the staffs at SUNY-Brockport, Ithaca College, right there in Pittsburgh as an offensive assistant and Tight Ends Coach at Pitt, Rutgers, and then on to the NFL for his first pro job with Tampa as their Tight Ends Coach in 2012. He was also on the coaching staff for the Redskins, Browns, and Panthers aside from his role with Minnesota and Green Bay, always the Tight End Coach which should benefit Darnell Washington and Pat Freiremuth.
Senior Offensive Assistant
Frank Cignetti Jr.
Like his head coach, Frank Cignetti Jr., was born in Pittsburgh and is now 60 years old. He is a graduate of local Indiana University of Pennsylvania and was a graduate assistant at Pitt. He coached at his alma mater in various roles beginning in 1990 and stayed at IUP until 1998 when he took a job with the Kansas City Chiefs as an Offensive Assistant in 1999. He is familiar with Mike McCarthy because he was his quarterbacks coach in Green Bay for one season in 2018. Last year Cignetti was the Offensive Coordinator at IUP.
Offensive Quality Control Coach
Eric Simonelli
Another McCarthy disciple is Simonelli who served under the Steelers new head coach in Dallas from 2020-2024 in the same role as a quality control coach. His college was Wesleyan, but he is not a former player.
Game Management / Quarterbacks Coach
Tim Berberich
While Mike McCarthy will serve not just as the head coach, but he is also in some circles considered a quarterback “whisperer.” He knows how to develop quarterbacks. If Aaron Rodgers returns that will require nothing from the coaching staff given A-Rod’s experience. However, if Will Howard becomes the focus, Berberich will be called upon to help McCarthy develop Howard into a star. Berberich has a solid background in the NFL having coached last season with Atlanta and previously with the Rams, Texans, Raiders, Colts, Buccaneers, and the Jets.
Quarterbacks Coach
Tom Arth
Arth is one coach returning to the Steelers from Mike Tomlin’s staff. This will be Arth’s third season as the quarterbacks coach and in 2006 was on McCarthy’s staff, so he was reunited with Aaron Rodgers last year.
Offensive Line Coach
James Campien
James Campien was hired and once again with a prior relationship with McCarthy as Offensive Line Coach in Green Bay from 2004-2018. He held this same position with Carolina, Houston, the Chargers, and Cleveland.
Assistant Offensive Line Coach
Jahri Evans
Evans will back up Campien bringing to Pittsburgh his experience as an offensive assistant that he put to use with the New Orleans Saints.
Running Backs Coach
Ramon Chinyoung Sr.
One thing about the new Steelers coaching staff is there is a nice mix of young and older experienced coaches. Chinyoung is one of those younger guys. Just four seasons of experience in the NFL he comes fresh off a stint last year with Dallas as the Assistant Offensive Line Coach. Before that he began his coaching career with the Denver Broncos as an offensive quality control coach.
Wide Receivers Coach
Adam Henry
Wide receiver is an issue with the Steelers, and they spent the 2025 season without a true #2 receiver behind DK Metcalf. It is the hope that Adam Henry can help develop a more productive receiving corps. He served as the Buffalo Bills wide receivers coach in each of the last three seasons, so he is coming to Pittsburgh after being an integral part of the one of the best teams in the league. Henry has 16 years of NFL experience with 10 of those as a receiver coach. He should be a valuable addition.
Tight Ends Coach
Rober Kugler
Here we have another Pittsburgh product. Kugler is a graduate of North Allegheny High School (my alma mater’s bitter rival!) and in 2010 the Tigers won the Pennsylvania State Championship with Kugler on the team. In his new role it becomes the first time in his coaching career he will be responsible for one position. His previous roles have all been as assistants.
Defensive Coordinator
Patrick Graham
There will some that scoff at this hiring, especially as Graham comes to the Steelers fresh off serving in the same role with the Las Vegas Raiders for the past four seasons. While Las Vegas had a defense that was nothing to write home about, they also didn’t have the level of talent that Pittsburgh does. Like some of the previous coaches mentioned, Graham spent time with Mike McCarthy in Green Bay. Prior to his Raiders job and aside from the Packers job, Graham was a coach with Miami, the Patriots, and Giants.
Assistant Head Coach / Secondary Coach
Joe Whitt Jr.
For Whitt, this new position may be considered a small demotion. That is because for the past two seasons he was the Defensive Coordinator in Washington for the Commanders. Now he is the assistant head coach and secondary coach. But he too served under Mike McCarthy so obviously our new head coach picked his staff very carefully. Whitt had worked on the staffs in the past with Atlanta and Cleveland.
Defensive Pass / Game Coordinator / Defensive Backs Coach
Jason Simmons
This is an interesting hire simply because Jason Simmons was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1998 as the 137th overall pick. In his natural position at cornerback, Simmons made his mark in Pittsburgh starring on special teams. As he turned to coaching, he has spent 16 years coaching up players. In the last six years he was on the sidelines with Carolina, Las Vegas, and Washington as their defensive pass game coordinator.
Defensive Line Coach
Domata Peko
With Mike Tomlin resigning Carl Dunbar was not retained as Defensive Line Coach. Instead, Mike McCarthy brought in Peko. He comes to the Steelers with plenty of playing experience in the NFL, 15 years’ worth. With 214 career games 194 of those as a starter, those 214 appearances represent the 10th most in NFL history for a defensive tackle. His playing days were spent with Cincinnati, Denver, Baltimore, and Arizona. Peko comes to the Steelers after being on the staff of Deion Sanders at the University of Colorado where he was also the Defensive Line Coach.
Outside Linebackers Coach
C.J. Ah-You
A former standout collegiate player at Oklahoma, Ah You comes to the NFL after being the outside linebackers coach for Texas Tech the last four seasons. His first professional coaching position was with the New York Guardians of the XFL.
Inside Linebackers Coach
Scott McCurley
Steelers Nation will welcome back McCurley as he begins his second season with the Steelers after one season with Mike Tomlin. McCurley hails from the ‘Burgh growing up in New Castle in Pittsburgh, McCurley was a two-sport star there in football (linebacker and offensive line) and in basketball. Another staff member with Mike McCarthy in Dallas, he was also on the staff with the Packers in 2018.
Defensive Assistant
Shawn Howe
Howe is an NFL rookie as a coach. This is his first job in the NFL after spending 22 years coaching in college. He comes east to the Steel City after serving as the Defensive Coordinator at Montana State. Last year the Bobcats of Montana State were FCS champions.
Special Teams Coach
Danny Crossman
From one Danny to the next, some Steelers fans may be disappointed to see the gum smacking Danny Smith replaced with Danny Crossman. In his role as Special Teams Coordinator, Crossman comes away from the Miami Dolphins after six years with that team. Before that he was with the Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, and the Miami Dolphins.
Senior Special Teams Assistant
Derius Swinton II
Swinton will be Danny Crossman’s sidekick and brings with him a wealth of experience. Spending last season in Las Vegas, Swinton served as the interim Special Teams Coordinator. He has been with the Chargers, Cardinals, Lions, Bears, 49ers, Broncos, Chiefs, Rams, and the University of Tennessee.
Strength & Conditioning Coach
Mark Lovat
Another crossover coach from Mike McCarthy’s tenure in Green Bay is Lovat who was the Packers Strength and Conditioning Coach for 25 years. In 2024 and 2025 he was in the same position with the Tennessee Titans.
Director of Performance Integration / Sports Science
Grant Thorne
In this role, this is the first time for me hearing of such a position. What Thorne will be doing exactly only Mike McCarthy knows for sure. But Thorne is a new hire but previously was the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach with the Tennessee Titans and before that…surprise surprise was with the Green Bay Packers and Mike McCarthy.
Strength & Conditioning Assistant
Justus Galac
Galac is the third coach to return to the team from the Mike Tomlin tenure coming back in the same role. This will be his third season with the Steelers in this position and has been with the team four years.
Strength & Conditioning Assistant
Abe Munayer
Munayer is an interesting hire. 2026 will be his first year with the team but his background includes having served as the Head of Athletic Performance for Olympic Sports with football performance support at San Jose State University. Previous to that, Munayer spent four years as the Director of Strength and Conditioning at the City College of San Francisco.
Chief of Staff
Steve Scarnecchia
I don’t ever recall hearing about a Chief of Staff with the Steelers, but they have one now in Scarnecchia. I assume he is going to be responsible for overseeing the entire coaching staff and beyond that I have no idea. But he has been in the NFL for 17 years with six as a Chief of Staff having had stopovers in Atlanta, and with the New York Jets as well as with the Atlanta Falcons.
There you have it. 24 coaches, which is an exceptionally large staff. With Mike McCarthy it becomes 25. I believe this staff is far better than what Mike Tomlin ever put together and McCarthy was careful and methodical about who he chose. If a coaching staff can make a difference in wins and losses, I believe the Pittsburgh Steelers are in excellent shape to stay a winning team and with McCarthy calling the shots, this playoff first round drought could finally be over in 2026.
