News out of Pittsburgh is the Steelers are finalizing a deal to make defensive assistant coach Teryl Austin the team’s new defensive coordinator. This should come as a surprise to no one as Austin has always been the guy to eventually replace Keith Butler. Here are our takeaways from the news.
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The players will love the hire
(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
By all accounts, Austin is loved by the players. So look for them to come out and praise this promotion in a big way. Sort of what happened last year when the Steelers hired Adrian Klemm to be the offensive line coach.
Mike Tomlin is still in charge
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
By not bringing in an outside candidate, you can be assured this defense still belongs to Mike Tomlin. Keith Butler had very little to do with the playcalling or scheme and it’s hard to see Austin coming in with anything innovative at all.
Not utilizing talent is still the issue
(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
The Steelers defense was a mess last season. And injuries played a big part in it. But the biggest downfall of the Pittsburgh defense was a complete imbalance between the talent on the roster and execution. Is this something Austin can fix? Get these guys ready to play every week?
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