The Pittsburgh Steelers is interviewing Los Angeles Chargers passing game specialist Tom Arth, Jets wide receivers coach Zach Azzani and Titans passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Charles London for an open job to become assistant roles that could become pass game coordinator titles, according to Noah Strackbein of All Steelers. That would be the first time that the Steelers have adopted a title such as that one on their staff. After the hire of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, it seems they are looking into expanding the staff.
London is currently serving in this role in Tennessee, but it’s unknown if the new regime will want to retain him. He got to the Titans in 2023 and did well with Will Levis. Before that, he worked with Smith in Atlanta for two years as pass-game coordinator. With his experience under Smith and even semi-local ties having coached at Penn State, he might be considered the favorite.
Arth went to John Carroll University and was the head coach at Akron from 2018 to 2021 before he was fired. But after he was, he went to the NFL, joining up forces with Kellen Moore and Justin Herbert with the Los Angeles Chargers. Still, that was not an offense that was particularly dynamic or explosive, so it does not seem all that likely that the Steelers would land someone without an extensive resume.
Meanwhile, Azzani has been in the NFL a long time as a wide receivers coach, and has offensive coordinator experience at the college level with Western Kentucky. Azzani coached the Broncos wide receivers from 2018 to 2022 before Sean Payton came aboard and cleared out the rest of his staff. Moving forward, it seems likely that his experience working with receivers is the idea from Smith to help accentuate what Smith does on the ground.
Several NFL teams have added an additional senior coach to their coaching staffs, positioned between traditional coordinators and position coach, with titles such as assistant head coach, pass- or run-game coordinator or senior assistant.
The Steelers did that on the defensive side of the ball for the last three seasons, when Teryl Austin was senior defensive assistant from 2020-21 and Brian Flores held the role in 2022. It went un-filled in 2023. And now, it could come the offensive side of the ball.
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