The Pittsburgh Steelers are still in the process of building up their coaching staff, as only two assistants from 2025 have been retained for the next season. Under new head coach Mike McCarthy, it seems like the staff will be expanded with new roles that work with the modern game, as opposed to the old-school small-staff mentality that the team previously had. As the days go on, more and more coaches are getting hired to Pittsburgh, with most of them having a connection with one of McCarthy's old teams.
Karl Roster / Pittsburgh Steelers
Dan Rooney III, Art Rooney II, Head Coach Mike McCarthy, and Omar Khan after McCarthy singed his contract to become the next head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero announced that a new coach that is being interviewed for a spot on the Steelers' coaching staff.
Texas Tech outside linebackers coach C.J. Ah You is set to interview Tuesday for the OLB job with the Steelers, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 1, 2026
A former NFL defensive end, Ah You also interviewed Friday with the Cowboys.
CJ Ah You spent three years as a depth piece for the then-St. Louis Rams before getting into coaching at the college level, as well as one year in the now-defunct XFL 2.0. In 2024, he held the title of interim defensive coordinator for the Texas Tech Red Raiders before going back to his role as outside linebackers coach. Now, he is interviewing for the same position, but at a higher level.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers new Head Coach Mike McCarthy addresses the media in his introductory press conference.
The fact that Ah You is interviewing with another team shows that there is some interest around the NFL, as opposed to the Steelers just reaching for options. Unlike nearly every other coach currently hired, he has no connection to McCarthy, so this took some actual research to find, and in many cases, that can turn out better than just hiring an old friend that the head coach used to work with on another team.
Steelers Hope For Perfect Mix Of Youth And Experience With Ah You
During his coaching career, Ah You has worked with special teams, defensive line, and outside linebackers. He was an interim defensive coordinator, as mentioned before, so he has a little bit of experience with the whole unit. Despite all that, he is still 43, so there is still a lot for him to learn. Getting his first shot at the NFL will help him learn, and he will be leading the most stacked outside linebacker group in the league.
Sebastian Foltz / Post-Gazette
Steelers' TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith and company stand on the field during Friday Night Lights.
What do you think about the Steelers interviewing Ah You to be the outside linebackers coach? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
#SteelerNation