PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Previously a defensive coordinator with Detroit and then Cincinnati, Teryl Austin came to the Steelers as a secondary coach and senior defensive assistant in 2018. With his addition, which reportedly will be for another two seasons under a two-year extension, something immediately changed.
Austin brought an aggressive approach to practice and preached turnovers. Every day in nearly every drill it was about turnovers. He got results.
In his first season, the Steelers turnovers per game went from 28th in the league to seventh. They have been in the top 10 every year but 2021 when they were 13th. When he took over as defensive coordinator in 2022, the defense went from 20th in points allowed to 10th and in 2023, the Steelers defense was sixth in points allowed.
It's not to say it has been perfect. Steelers were 21st in the league this season in yards allowed. That is an area where Austin wants to improve, but it's about preventing points first.
"I want it all, but sometimes you can't have it all," Austin said before the Bills playoff game. "What would you rather have? If you would rather have something, I would rather have less points on the board. If we are holding teams under 20 points a game, that's a good start. We can get the other stuff in order."
Mike Tomlin would only say at his season-ending news conference he would not speculate about changes to the defensive staff. If there are other changes to come, if won't be with the coordinator.
Before working for the Steelers, Bengals and Lions, Austin won a Super Bowl as an assistant coach with the Ravens in 2012. He was part of the Seattle staff that won the NFC Championship in 2005 and again with Arizona in 2008. Before working in the NFL, Austin started as a graduate assistant at Penn State before coaching at Wake Forest, Syracuse and Michigan. The Sharon native was a three-year starter at Pitt from 1983-87.
