Steelers Announce Decision On Mike Tomlin's Assistant Coaches

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Jan 15, 2026 6:16 PM ET

Mike Tomlin may have left the Steelers of his own volition, but the dozens of staff members he left behind in Pittsburgh may not have that same option.

According to Steelers insider Gerry Dulac, the Steelers have informed Tomlin's staff that they are free to pursue other work but will not be retained unless their next head coach chooses to bring them back. Per the report, all staff contracts are set to expire at the end of February. The Steelers will undoubtedly have their coach before then though.

"The Steelers have told all of Mike Tomlin’s assistant coaches they are free to pursue other opportunities and won’t be retained unless the new head coach wants to rehire them, per multiple sources. All coaches are under contract through the end of February," Dulac wrote.

The Steelers have told all of Mike Tomlin’s assistant coaches they are free to pursue other opportunities and won’t be retained unless the new head coach wants to rehire them, per multiple sources. All coaches are under contract through the end of February.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) January 15, 2026

Who's at risk?

There's no shortage of experienced coaches still on staff in Pittsburgh. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is a former head coach, while defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has held his position for four years.

Special teams coordinator Danny Smith has 50 years of coaching experience and has been with the Steelers since 2013. Smith seems like the best candidate to stay since special teams coaches have a tendency to be retained by new coaching regimes more often than others. But he's by no means a lock to keep his job.

Nov 9, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) walk off the field after the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesJayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Steelers are casting a wide net as far as candidates for their next head coach goes. Between those three and a slew of assistants, it seems unlikely that the next head coach of the Steelers will be an in-house promotion with eyes on retaining the current staff.

Organizationally, the Steelers don't have a ton of experience with coaching changes to begin with. The team has only changed coaches twice in over 55 years, transitioning from the late-great Chuck Noll to Bill Cowher in 1991 and then from Cowher to Tomlin in 2007.

Finding a candidate who is not only cut out for the job but able to maintain his job for two decades like Tomlin did will be a hard feat to achieve.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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