The Pittsburgh Steelers have made some significant changes to their coaching staff this offseason, most notably with the hiring of Arthur Smith as their new offensive coordinator. However, another move has caught the attention of Steelers fans - the departure of wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson.
Steelers' Coach Frisman Jackson Being Let Go By Pittsburgh
According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jackson will not be returning to the Steelers for the upcoming season. Dulac pointed out that multiple team sources have confirmed this decision.
“Frisman Jackson, who has been the team’s wide receivers coach the past two seasons, will not be rehired, according to multiple team sources.”
The reasons behind Jackson's departure are not solely related to his coaching abilities, but also involve the behavior of some of the wide receivers he was tasked with mentoring according to Dulac. Those wide receivers include the talented, but sometimes troubled Diontae Johnson and George Pickens.
“Jackson’s departure can be traced, in part, to the recalcitrant conduct of receivers George Pickens and Diontae Johnson, each of whom displayed boorish behavior in several instances last season.”
While Jackson had a history of coaching in the NFL, his tenure with the Steelers proved to be short-lived, leaving a void that the team must now address.
Jackson's coaching journey has been marked by various roles and experiences. His career in coaching began at Western Illinois from 2008 to 2009, where he worked as a wide receivers coach. His dedication to the profession led him to Akron in 2010-2011, followed by a brief stint at Northern Illinois in 2012.
His next significant coaching stop was at NC State from 2013 to 2014, where he continued to develop wide receivers. Jackson's expertise expanded further when he took on the role of wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Temple from 2015 to 2016.
In 2017, Jackson made the leap to the NFL, joining the Tennessee Titans as their wide receivers coach. His experience in the league continued to grow, but his time with the Titans was followed by roles in college football, including Baylor in 2018-2019 and the Carolina Panthers in 2020-2021.
In 2022, Jackson joined the Steelers' coaching staff as their wide receivers coach. However, after just two seasons, his journey with the team has come to an end.
With Jackson's departure, the Steelers now face the task of finding a suitable replacement for the wide receivers coach position. While it's natural for fans to speculate about potential candidates, including former Steelers star wide receiver, Hines Ward, no official announcements have been made at this time. Stay tuned for more updates on who will take on this crucial role in Pittsburgh.
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