Steelers Could Absolutely Steal The Browns' Best Coach

With the Pittsburgh Steelers hiring Mike McCarthy as their new head coach, all eyes now turn to who will fill out his coaching staff. Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith is leaving for Ohio State to become their play-caller, and Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin has drawn some interest for openings around the league. With both coordinators departing, Pittsburgh has a wide pool of candidates to fill key roles. One team insider even suggested the Steelers could lure one of the top coaching minds in the AFC North to help McCarthy reshape the team’s identity.

One of the names being thrown around is Jim Schwartz, who has been the Defensive Coordinator for the Cleveland Browns since 2023. Schwartz is no stranger to high-level coaching, having worked in the NFL since the 1990s. Over the years, he has held defensive coordinator roles for several teams, and also served as the head coach of the Detroit Lions from 2009-2013.

Schwartz has long been considered one of the best defensive minds in football, and the numbers back it up. In 2025, the Browns defense finished fourth in yards allowed, fifth in yards-per-play, and third in passing yards allowed. Those stats are especially impressive considering the Browns won only five games. It’s clear that Schwartz knows how to get the most out of his players, even when the team as a whole struggles.

With Cleveland still searching for a head coach, Schwartz’s future remains uncertain, and that uncertainty could work in the Steelers’ favor. Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette highlighted the possibility of Schwartz making the move to Pittsburgh.

"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," Batko said. "And yeah, he’d probably be the most accomplished defensive mind on the market."

The Steelers are no strangers to defensive prowess, but the team has long struggled to pair elite coordinators with talent on the roster. One recurring frustration under Mike Tomlin was the lack of top-tier coordinators on both sides of the ball. 

Even with the league’s highest-paid defense, Pittsburgh’s numbers were far from dominant. The 2025 Steelers finished 16th in points allowed, 26th in yards allowed, and 13th in yards-per-play. Breaking it down even further, the unit was 29th against the pass and 13th against the run, a puzzling combination given the talent at its disposal.

That’s where someone like Schwartz could make a real difference. His track record shows he can take a roster that might underperform and turn it into a disciplined, high-functioning unit. He’s the kind of coach who can organize a defense, make adjustments on the fly, and elevate the players around him. With a coordinator of that caliber, the Steelers could go from a team that occasionally struggles to one that consistently ranks among the league’s best defenses.

While many fans and media members have already criticized the McCarthy hire, the addition of a high-level coordinator like Schwartz would certainly help the team regain credibility. McCarthy’s experience as a head coach gives him a clear vision of what he wants his staff to look like, but he’ll need good coordinators to implement it effectively. 

The right hire could accelerate the Steelers’ rise back into contention in the AFC, while the wrong one could make even a talented roster feel inconsistent. Even if Schwartz doesn’t end up in Pittsburgh, the conversation highlights how much of an impact the right coordinator can have on a team’s trajectory.

Steelers Have Other Options For Defensive Coordinator 

Even if Schwartz ends up staying in Cleveland or decides to take a job elsewhere, the Steelers still have plenty of strong options to fill the defensive coordinator role. Two names that have come up during this coaching cycle are Miami Dolphins Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver and former Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Raheem Morris.

Al Harris, who briefly played under McCarthy while on the Green Bay Packers, served as the defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator for the Chicago Bears in 2025. His name has recently surfaced as a potential candidate McCarthy could bring in. Another familiar option for Steelers fans is Larry Foote. Foote spent 11 seasons as a player in Pittsburgh and has been part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive staff since 2019.

Who would you like to see take over as the Steelers’ defensive coordinator? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!