While most of the focus this offseason has been on Mike McCarthy, he’s not the Pittsburgh Steelers’ only new coach. They overhauled almost their entire staff this offseason, only keeping two coaches from the previous regime. Some fans might not be too familiar with some of the new names, but I’ve put together a list of the five assistant coaches that I think will be most important for the Steelers this year.
Also, Pittsburgh’s offensive, defensive, and special teams coordinators weren’t considered for this list. I wanted to put the spotlight on some less-discussed names.
1. DL COACH DOMATA PEKO
Peko’s coaching career is still young, and this is his first time as an NFL position coach. He still has plenty of experience, playing the position for 15 NFL seasons.
He’s got a lot to work with, too. The Steelers spent a first-round pick on Derrick Harmon last year, and other young players like Keeanu Benton and Yahya Black have shown flashes of talent. Cam Heyward was great last year, but there’s no telling how much juice he has left at 37 years old. Peko’s job is to mold the Steelers’ young defensive front into a unit befitting the franchise’s history.
2. OL COACH JAMES CAMPEN
Sticking in the trenches, Campen brings an entirely different background than Peko. He’s a veteran coach, starting in the NFL in 2004. Campen has been an offensive line coach for five other teams, and he’s had much success, particularly with Mike McCarthy’s Green Bay Packers.
The Steelers’ offensive line also has more young talent than their defensive line. Troy Fautanu, Mason McCormick, and Zach Frazier have all shown promise. Pittsburgh invested more draft capital into their offensive line this year, too, spending a first-round pick on Max Iheanachor and a third-round pick on Gennings Dunker.
The unit improved as 2025 went on, but it needs to be better in 2026. Aaron Rodgers is 42 years old, and the Steelers’ offensive line must protect him if they want any chance at success. Campen will need to show why he’s stuck around in the NFL for so long.
3. WR COACH ADAM HENRY
Henry inherits a room that has given the Steelers some trouble in recent years. Luckily, he brings a solid resumé to Pittsburgh. Henry has coached several Pro Bowl-caliber wide receivers, including Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Stefon Diggs.
That’s good news for DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr., the Steelers’ top two receivers this season. Henry has a good track record coming in and working well with veteran receivers. Henry coached experienced players like Beckham, Landry, Cooper, and Diggs in the middle of their careers.
He’s got some young talent to work with, too. The Steelers traded up in the second round this year to draft Germie Bernard. There’s a lot of excitement around Bernard, but it will be up to Henry to prepare him for his first NFL season.
4. OLB COACH C.J. AH YOU
Ah You is another first-time NFL position coach. In fact, this is his first time coaching in the NFL at all. As a result, there’s less of an idea on what to expect from him. He did some good work coaching in college, though, specifically with David Bailey at Texas Tech. Ah You helped him have a tremendous 2025 season and become the second overall pick in this year’s draft.
Ah You might have the most talent to work with of any coach on the Steelers’ staff. Pittsburgh’s outside linebacker room is loaded. T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig might be the best trio of edge rushers in the league, and don’t forget about Jack Sawyer. It’s a nice mix of young and old talent, and Ah You must find the best of both worlds.
5. DEFENSIVE PASS GAME COORDINATOR/DEFENSIVE BACKS COACH JASON SIMMONS
I almost put quarterbacks coach Tom Arth in this spot, but it feels like his impact will be more noticeable in 2027. Meanwhile, Simmons takes over for Gerald Alexander, whom the Steelers wanted to keep. He did well juggling pieces in the Steelers’ secondary last year, but he left for the Minnesota Vikings, opening up a spot for Simmons.
Simmons isn’t a bad consolation prize, though. He had a 10-year NFL career, including playing four seasons for the Steelers. He’s been an NFL coach since 2011, wearing multiple hats for several different teams.
The Steelers’ pass defense was inconsistent last year, particularly due to injuries. However, it looks like a good group this year. Joey Porter Jr. and Jamel Dean seem like a solid corner duo. DeShon Elliott should bounce back from a knee injury last year. Jalen Ramsey and Jaquan Brisker look like exciting chess pieces. Simmons has plenty to work with, but how he deploys that talent will be critical.
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