McCarthy Coordinators & Coaches

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6Trophies
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McCarthy Coordinators & Coaches

Post by 6Trophies » Wed Jan 28, 2026 3:33 am

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been tied to a defensive coordinator, all thanks to new head coach Mike McCarthy and his prior coaching staffs.

According to Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com, there’s been talk of Las Vegas Raiders DC Patrick Graham as a “possible” candidate for the Steelers’ defensive coordinator vacancy, given his previous ties to McCarthy with the Green Bay Packers.

Graham was the Packers’ linebackers coach/run game coordinator in 2018. He became the Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator in 2019 and was the New York Giants assistant head coach/defensive coordinator from 2020-2021.

Most recently, Graham has served as the Raiders’ defensive coordinator from 2022-2025, where he’s managed to create a solid unit over the past few seasons.



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Post by Orangesteel » Wed Jan 28, 2026 3:37 am

Graham would be a great hire. I support it.
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Post by DumlinBumlinStumlin » Wed Jan 28, 2026 3:39 am

Raiders have been scrappy on D

Always on bad side of their offensive woes and on the field too much
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Post by chippedhamsandwich » Wed Jan 28, 2026 3:56 am

If the Browns don’t promote Jim Schwartz you absolutely need to get on the phone with him, and amazing D-Coach and it would fucking stick it to the Stains…

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Post by drmalba » Wed Jan 28, 2026 5:13 am

chippedhamsandwich wrote:
Wed Jan 28, 2026 3:56 am
If the Browns don’t promote Jim Schwartz you absolutely need to get on the phone with him, and amazing D-Coach and it would fucking stick it to the Stains…
Holy shit yes, this ^^^^

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Post by 955876 » Wed Jan 28, 2026 5:46 am

chippedhamsandwich wrote:
Wed Jan 28, 2026 3:56 am
If the Browns don’t promote Jim Schwartz you absolutely need to get on the phone with him, and amazing D-Coach and it would fucking stick it to the Stains…
Cowher would make that move.

I’m expecting to be as disappointed with McCarthy’s staff as I was him being hired.
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Post by CKSteeler » Wed Jan 28, 2026 6:18 am

chippedhamsandwich wrote:
Wed Jan 28, 2026 3:56 am
If the Browns don’t promote Jim Schwartz you absolutely need to get on the phone with him, and amazing D-Coach and it would fucking stick it to the Stains…
They're sticking with the 3-4 for a variety of reasons not the least of which is that the owner is delusional and almost certainly was looking to keep things chugging along on defense regardless of any actual results we saw on the field.

McCarthy is going to find someone willing to run a 3-4 and that isn't Schwartz. Not saying he wouldn't be one of the top guys to consider for the position in a bubble. They just aren't even going to look in that direction.

Also wouldn't surprise me at all if the Browns are stuck hiring him as the head coach given that no one else seems to even want to work for them at this point and they'd likely risk losing him if they don't bump him up.

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Post by langer » Wed Jan 28, 2026 9:30 am

We have to remember during these discussions that Coach Mike Tomlin no longer works for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maybe he'll go to work for the Cleveland Browns. That would be something.
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Post by Steeldrama » Wed Jan 28, 2026 11:46 am

Pat Graham?

PAT GRAHAM??

Y'all like that???

We USED to be the MOTHER FUCKING PITTSBURGH STEELERS!

Now we're fine with hiring a DC from literally the WORST team in the NFL???

Coaches from 12 playoff teams are free to be interviewed and y'all are happy with the DC from THE last place team?

Talk about being brainwashed by 19 years of Tomlin good freaking gawd.

The Browns another bottom feeder but at least Jim Swartz has a resume.

Bad fit though.

That Wide 9 with TWatt the jogger doesn't mesh with my tiny brain.

Myles Garrett lined up at the hot dog vendor trying to get to Rodgers for the sack record.

If TWatt tried that he wouldn't make it back to gatorade table let alone get anywhere near the quarterback

Content with Mediocrity.

God help us all.
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Post by Stillerz Bar » Wed Jan 28, 2026 11:58 am

Steeldrama wrote:
Wed Jan 28, 2026 11:46 am
Pat Graham?

PAT GRAHAM??

Y'all like that???

We USED to be the MOTHER FUCKING PITTSBURGH STEELERS!

Now we're fine with hiring a DC from literally the WORST team in the NFL???

Coaches from 12 playoff teams are free to be interviewed and y'all are happy with the DC from THE last place team?
That's what I was thinking. After his time with the Packers his resume includes the Dolphins, Giants and Raiders.... not exactly murders row over the last decade.

I was hoping that going with a retread for HC wed see some young up and comers as coordinators.

We'll see what actually transpire but the coconut telegraph is less than inspiring so far.

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Post by 6Trophies » Wed Jan 28, 2026 1:33 pm

Potential candidates...

Offensive coordinator

Whomever has this role under McCarthy won’t be a play-caller. At least not a primary one. That narrows the scope, to an extent, and likely rules out entrenched coordinators who want to do things their way while being in complete command of an offense. As such, McCarthy figures to go with an ascending young offensive mind or a veteran caretaker of sorts.

• Nate Scheelhaase: No connection to McCarthy as far as we can tell, but he bears leading this list given the known interest from the Steelers in their head-coaching search. Scheelhaase is the pass-game coordinator and mainly works with the receivers for the Los Angeles Rams, so this would be a bump up in title. But having a seat on the Sean McVay Express is pretty nice.

• Tom Arth: It’s fair to leave room for an internal hire, and Arth is the Steelers assistant most worthy of a promotion. He’s the current quarterbacks coach, has a great relationship with Aaron Rodgers, and actually had a cup of coffee in Green Bay in 2006, McCarthy’s first year. Arth, 44, was a pass-game specialist for the Los Angeles Chargers from 2022-23.

• Alex Van Pelt: Speaking of Rams coaches, Van Pelt is a senior offensive assistant there. He’s also a record-setting Pitt quarterback and NFL lifer with a gig in the league since 2006. One of those stops was under McCarthy in Green Bay, where he coached running backs, then quarterbacks from 2012-17. That led to coordinator stints in Cleveland and New England.

• Brian Angelichio: Another alum of McCarthy’s Packers who rode it out until the end in Green Bay, Angelichio also coached at Pitt from 2006-10 under Dave Wannstedt. Angelichio, 53, now is the pass-game coordinator and tight ends coach for the Minnesota Vikings under Kevin O’Connell, who hired him to his first staff in 2022. That’s not a bad offense to be aligned with by any means.

• Scott Tolzien: Remember those ex-Packers players McCarthy helped in the NFL coaching ranks? Tolzien, 38, is one of them. He was your classic backup or third-string quarterback for a few years behind Rodgers, then behind Andrew Luck in Indianapolis, after a decent college career at Wisconsin. Tolzien worked his way up from coaching assistant to quarterbacks coach under McCarthy in Dallas and now has the same role with New Orleans, where he presided over rookie Tyler Shough’s improvement throughout this season.

• Chase Haslett: Like Tolzien, he was one of the first assistants McCarthy brought in when he got the Cowboys job. Haslett, 33, is now tight ends coach for the Saints. He played quarterback at IUP from 2014-15 and is the son of Jim Haslett, the Pittsburgh native who gave McCarthy his first coordinator job in 2000 while serving as Saints head coach. Chase’s title in 2024 under McCarthy was pass-game specialist.

• Luke Getsy: This would be a yinz-splosion, but Getsy — a Steel Valley High School graduate — was a fixture on the Packers staff for all but one season from 2014-21. His first NFL foray into play-calling, as Chicago’s offensive coordinator from 2022-23, didn’t go so well, nor did his encore in 2024 with the Las Vegas Raiders, which lasted nine games. But this season he was back in Green Bay under Matt LaFleur as a senior assistant at just 41 years old.

• Ben McAdoo: Let’s keep playing the Western Pennsylvania hits. McAdoo, 48, hasn’t had a great run since he was one of McCarthy’s top Packers lieutenants from 2006-13. A tough two years as New York Giants head coach from 2016-17, a mediocre season as Carolina’s offensive coordinator in 2022, and now NFL anonymity as a senior assistant. But hey, at least he’s on Mike Vrabel’s Patriots staff, assisting the offense last season and the defense this year. He’s a Homer City product.

Defensive coordinator

It makes sense for the Steelers to cast a wider net here, given McCarthy’s offensive expertise. This hire could dictate the entire philosophy and have something close to full autonomy on the defensive side of the ball. In that way, it’s different than when Mike Tomlin was flying the plane. Play-calling experience might even be a requirement here.

• Anthony Weaver: Much like Scheelhaase leading the previous group, Weaver had enough belief from the Steelers to interview in person for the head-coaching job, so it stands to reason they’d love him running the defense. He’s still in the running for the Arizona and Buffalo top jobs, so this could be his backup plan.

• Jim Schwartz: This is a pie-in-the-sky idea, to some degree, but if Schwartz doesn’t get promoted to the head job in Cleveland and the new coach doesn’t keep him on, he’ll be a free agent. And yeah, he’d probably be the most accomplished defensive mind on the market.

• Aubrey Pleasant: He’s the assistant head coach and defensive pass-game coordinator for the Rams, so basically the reverse Scheelhaase with an expanded role with a decade more of NFL experience. And he might not be itching to leave that post, but he did interview to be the Chargers’ defensive coordinator, considering Chris Shula looks to be staying.

• Raheem Morris: One of Mike Tomlin’s closest friends; would that make it weird? Morris is open for business after Atlanta fired him, so this would be even more similar to the Arthur Smith path. But if Morris wants to get right back to work in 2026, he’s a battle-tested coach — and might even land right back at the helm of a team in Arizona.

• Bobby Babich: Keeping with the theme of coaches in flux, Babich was the Bills’ defensive coordinator the past two seasons under Sean McDermott. At 42, he’s still on the rise, and his dad Bob is an Aliquippa native. Babich had been with McDermott since his first Bills staff in 2017.

• Al Harris: Two Packers players under McCarthy were promised and Harris is the other one. Harris, 51, was a savvy cornerback who has parlayed that into the coaching profession. He was McCarthy’s defensive backs coach from 2020-23, then was elevated to assistant head coach for 2024, but landed on his feet this past season with the Bears as defensive backs coach and pass-game coordinator. He’d be a first-time defensive play-caller, though.

• Larry Foote: If McCarthy really wants to appease the masses, bringing back a franchise great wouldn't hurt. Foote, 45, has yet to be a true defensive coordinator, but Tampa Bay is grooming him for it. He’s been the pass-game or run-game coordinator each of the past four seasons, in addition to coaching linebackers, both inside and outside.
Last edited by 6Trophies on Wed Jan 28, 2026 1:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by 6Trophies » Wed Jan 28, 2026 1:50 pm

The Steelers, looking to make a change at defensive coordinator, will interview Las Vegas Raiders DC Patrick Graham and Washington Commanders defensive pass game coordinator Jason Simmons for the job.

Graham, having spent time under McCarthy as the Green Bay Packers linebackers coach/run game coordinator in 2018, brings defensive coordinator experience with the Miami Dolphins (2019) and the New York Giants (2020-2021), in addition to his recent tenure in Las Vegas (2022-2025).

Simmons, a former Steeler who spent three seasons with Pittsburgh from 1998 to 2001, also worked for McCarthy's coaching staff back in Green Bay as the Packers defensive assistant/secondary coach from 2011-2015, assistant special teams coach from 2016-2017, and the secondary coach in 2018.

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Post by Mick » Wed Jan 28, 2026 3:00 pm

Just need to temper expectations. When was the last time the steelers hired a coach that was in high demand around the league?

My memory gets a bit foggy prior to the past 30 years, but far as i’m aware the answer is ‘never’.

So real question is what flavor of undesirable guys do we want, young guys who appear entirely unready for the new job or guys who are looking to take a demotion because they recently flopped at a higher level job. I guess we will also look at guys who flopped at the exact same job last season, part of ‘casting a wide net’.

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Post by Gonzo » Wed Jan 28, 2026 3:28 pm

mccarthy working hard to get some of his old boys jobs and get paid
3 year Rooney cash-in window is open

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Post by Steeldrama » Wed Jan 28, 2026 4:47 pm

Well my guy Monken was named Browns HC

You Schwartz fans could get your wish (but I doubt it)
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Post by Steeldrama » Wed Jan 28, 2026 5:12 pm

https://steelersdepot.com/2026/01/repor ... ers-coach/

Adam Henry named WR coach

Most recently with the Bills (yikes) but yes has worked with McCarthy in Dallas
Nick Markakis on Astros: "Every guy over there needs a beating."

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Post by langer » Wed Jan 28, 2026 5:36 pm

I thought Monken was a guy that no "modern NFL" player wanted to play under.

Wow.
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Post by AirRescueFF » Wed Jan 28, 2026 5:51 pm

Finally retired: 31DEC25

He finally quit: 13JAN26

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Post by Mick » Wed Jan 28, 2026 6:17 pm

Steeldrama wrote:
Wed Jan 28, 2026 5:12 pm
https://steelersdepot.com/2026/01/repor ... ers-coach/

Adam Henry named WR coach

Most recently with the Bills (yikes) but yes has worked with McCarthy in Dallas
Weird to me to hire a WR coach with no offensive coordinator. I guess the intent is OC will be a fake job anyway with McCarthy running the offense.

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Post by CKSteeler » Wed Jan 28, 2026 6:17 pm

I'll reiterate - this just isn't even going to be considered due to the schematic change Schwartz would almost certainly demand. You'd have to retool the defense quite significantly to make that happen and we are at a stage where it's abundantly clear Art II wants to minimize that very thing.

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Post by bradshaw2ben » Wed Jan 28, 2026 7:45 pm

CKSteeler wrote:
Wed Jan 28, 2026 6:17 pm
I'll reiterate - this just isn't even going to be considered due to the schematic change Schwartz would almost certainly demand. You'd have to retool the defense quite significantly to make that happen and we are at a stage where it's abundantly clear Art II wants to minimize that very thing.
You know they got crushed by every team they've played in the postseason for years... maybe-hear me out-maybe their defense isn't that good and should be rebuilt from the foundation?
“We are the stupidest fucking franchise ever.” — Smithessmokin

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Post by Boukman » Wed Jan 28, 2026 8:12 pm


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Post by Jobu » Wed Jan 28, 2026 8:26 pm

“Sigh” :|

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Post by 6Trophies » Wed Jan 28, 2026 8:49 pm

Boukman wrote:
Wed Jan 28, 2026 8:12 pm
Patrick Graham, new DC
https://x.com/gerrydulac/status/2016598 ... dinator%2F

Three current coaches to be retained
https://x.com/gerrydulac/status/2016600 ... coaches%2F
Apparently not yet final but sounds like they will be named

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Post by Orangesteel » Wed Jan 28, 2026 9:02 pm

I think Graham is a very good hire
“Thoughts are a waste of time for me.” - Michael Pettaway Tomlin

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Post by Steeldrama » Wed Jan 28, 2026 9:08 pm

Orangesteel wrote:
Wed Jan 28, 2026 9:02 pm
I think Graham is a very good hire


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Post by Steelafan77 » Wed Jan 28, 2026 9:12 pm

bradshaw2ben wrote:
Wed Jan 28, 2026 7:45 pm
CKSteeler wrote:
Wed Jan 28, 2026 6:17 pm
I'll reiterate - this just isn't even going to be considered due to the schematic change Schwartz would almost certainly demand. You'd have to retool the defense quite significantly to make that happen and we are at a stage where it's abundantly clear Art II wants to minimize that very thing.
You know they got crushed by every team they've played in the postseason for years... maybe-hear me out-maybe their defense isn't that good and should be rebuilt from the foundation?
I know you can’t help yourself and to that I’ll add my own explicit bias siding with common sense…

If it wasn’t obvious this past season where the HIGHEST PAID DEFENSE in NFL HISTORY [$168M] was still very flawed and often mortified.

I have No words for either the blind homerism or the sheer denial of their results. Perhaps fraudlin calling the defense was huge too!

That all said, I would’ve loved, embraced and appreciated a change in their scheme in addition to changing coaching staff.

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Post by Steelafan77 » Wed Jan 28, 2026 10:05 pm

More hires in the making….
Other top candidates McCarthy is looking to add to his staff are former Packers offensive line coach James Campen and former Cowboys assistant line coach Ramon Chinyoung.
https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/ste ... 2601280062

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Post by lifelongsteel » Wed Jan 28, 2026 10:21 pm

I don't think the 3-4 vs. 4-3 is the issue, especially now that most team's base is nickel anyone. You can have success either way, and in theory the Steelers have built their roster around the 3-4.

I'm curious to see what coverage changes are made and how often linebackers are covering slot receivers on critical downs.

Re: the quality of the defense . . . it's hard to say how much of the drop off this year and the lack of big game success goes to the players or coaches. I'm going to go on record and say coaching and personnel usage (which is also coaching). If your players are constantly confused, pointing at each other, shaking their heads . . . the scheme is either too complicated (which i doubt) or it's not set up to take into account different route combinations that teams run. I suspect there were plays where rules weren't designed to account for different routes.

Since LeBeau left they've been playing checkers on the back end.

I expect the defense to better next year via addition by coaching subtraction

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Post by Stillerz Bar » Wed Jan 28, 2026 10:45 pm

Boukman wrote:
Wed Jan 28, 2026 8:12 pm
Patrick Graham, new DC
https://x.com/gerrydulac/status/2016598 ... dinator%2F

Three current coaches to be retained
https://x.com/gerrydulac/status/2016600 ... coaches%2F
Let me get this straight.... our QB room has been garbage in coaching up anyone since Ben retired, but one of the few position coaches we're keeping is the guy who oversaw that hot mess. Smh :roll:

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