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The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially named their next defensive coordinator.
Teryl Austin, who has previously worked as a senior defensive assistant/secondary for the last three seasons, has been promoted in the absence of Keith Butler, who announced his retirement last month, the team announced in a news release shared on its official website Wednesday (February 9).
Austin has spent 18 seasons working as an NFL defensive assistant, beginning as a defensive backs coach for the Seattle Seahawks in 2003.
Last season, the Steelers ranked fifth among AFC teams in pass defense and ninth in the NFL.
Austin also is credited for helping develop seventh-round 2021 NFL Draft pick Tre Norwood, who went on to appear in all 17 games and made three starts.
"I can't even tell you the amount of stuff that Coach T.A. taught me this year," Norwood said via Steelers.com. "I've learned so much from him. Coming in, him teaching me the scheme off the bat. And his understanding of the game of football. He's a great teacher. I think that's an integral part of being a great coach and he does that in every aspect, whether it's technique standpoint, a scheme standpoint, that's something that stands out to me a lot. I learned from my first time in the building all the way through this entire season every week each and every day. In the meeting room, on the field. I was always learning from Coach T.A. because he's such a smart coach and just knows the game of football."
Austin also had stints with the Arizona Cardinals (207-09) and Baltimore Ravens (2011-13), with all three tenures resulting in Super Bowl appearances, which included winning Super Bowl XLVII with the Ravens.