The [Pittsburgh Steelers](https://www.pennlive.com/steelers/) have hired a new tight ends coach in Robert Kugler to help finalize [Mike McCarthy’s](https://www.pennlive.com/steelers/2026/02/pittsburgh-steelers-reach-deal-to-hire-mike-mccarthys-offensive-coordinator.html) staff, the team announced on Thursday.
Kugler was most recently the assistant offensive line coach with the New England Patriots, but he now comes on board to be the tight ends coach. Steelers offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio was the tight ends coach for the Minnesota Vikings, so Kugler will have some help.
He is the son of former Steelers offensive line coach Sean Kugler and a graduate of North Allegheny High School north of the city. Kugler was on the 2010 North Allegheny State Championship team.
After Kugler’s playing career ended, which spanned his collegiate career at Purdue as a tight end and center, he was a graduate assistant with UTEP and Washington for three years.
He made the jump to the NFL in 2021, where he became the assistant offensive line coach with the Houston Texans. Kugler has held the assistant offensive line position in three separate stops, going from Houston to the Carolina Panthers, and lastly, to the Patriots.
The Steelers will hire him to be a position coach for the first time in his coaching career, and he has not worked with tight ends in the past as a position coach.