Pittsburgh Steelers owner and president Art Rooney II has confirmed that both offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will continue in their respective roles for the 2025 NFL season. In a recent interview with team reporter Rob King, Rooney expressed confidence in the current coaching staff, emphasizing the importance of continuity as the team aims to build upon its existing systems.
“Mike [Tomlin] certainly knows he’s evaluating his staff and will continue to do so, but the coaching staff, I think most of it will stay in place. Our coordinators, I think, will stay in place,” Rooney stated. “I look forward to having Arthur Smith for a second year and having him have more of an opportunity to kind of really put his system in place. So, there’s work to be done. And for the most part, I think we have the right people and the right jobs to do it.” ([si.com](https://www.si.com/nfl/steelers/news/pittsburgh-steelers-confirm-one-coaching-change-teryl-austin-happen?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
Arthur Smith, who joined the Steelers as offensive coordinator in 2024, led an offense that showed notable improvement, ranking 16th in points per game—the team’s best finish since 2020. Despite a challenging end to the season, where the team lost five consecutive games, Smith’s system demonstrated potential, and the organization is optimistic about further development under his guidance. ([bvmsports.com](https://bvmsports.com/2025/01/27/steelers-confirm-teryl-austin-and-arthur-smith-will-return-as-coordinators/?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
Teryl Austin, serving as defensive coordinator since 2022 and under contract through 2025, has been instrumental in enhancing the team’s defensive turnover rate. Under his leadership, the Steelers have recorded the most sacks and takeaways in the league since 2019. However, the defense faced challenges toward the end of the season, particularly in communication and run defense. Despite these issues, Rooney’s endorsement indicates a belief in Austin’s ability to address and rectify these areas moving forward. ([steelersdepot.com](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/01/teryl-austin-will-return-as-defensive-coordinator-steelers-say/?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
Rooney also acknowledged that while the core coaching staff will remain intact, there may be minor adjustments at other coaching positions. “I don’t expect wholesale changes, but yeah, I think there are probably gonna be a couple changes,” he noted. This suggests potential tweaks at the positional coach level to better support the coordinators and players. ([steelersdepot.com](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/01/steelers-rooney-expects-some-but-not-wholesale-coaching-changes/?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
The decision to retain both Smith and Austin reflects the organization’s commitment to stability and confidence in the current coaching framework. As the Steelers prepare for the upcoming season, the focus will be on building upon the foundations laid in previous years, with an emphasis on addressing past shortcomings and striving for a more successful campaign in 2025.