Steelers’ New Coach C.J. Ah You Earns Gigantic Praise From NFL Draft Prospect

The Pittsburgh Steelers are having a fun offseason, to say the least. They decided to revamp the coaching staff after the resignation of former head coach Mike Tomlin. They allowed new head coach Mike McCarthy to assemble his own staff while keeping some of Tomlin's assistants. McCarthy primarily brought in his former coaches when he was with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. This was expected as coaches typically hire guys they are familiar with and comfortable with. However, he also made some sneaky hires from the college level, bringing in Frank Cignetti Jr. and Shawn Howe. There is another coach from the collegiate level who could be with the Black and Gold for a long time as well.

McCarthy hired C.J. Ah You to be his outside linebackers coach. Ah You played three seasons in the NFL and has been coaching since. He is coming off four seasons coaching for the Texas Tech Red Raiders where he served as the outside linebackers coach and even spent a season as the interim defensive coordinator. The Red Raiders boasted one of college football's best defenses, led by their ferocious defensive line. They had monster defensive tackles in the middle, but it was their edge rushers under Ah You's watch that led the way. 

Draft prospect Skyler Gill-Howard, who played under Ah You, spoke at the NFL Combine and gave Steeler Nation some insight into what they're getting with the new coach. Gill-Howard has strong praise for Ah You as a motivator and even as a tactician. 

"Great, passionate coach that really cares about his players..." Gill-Howard said. "Also, a guy that's really smart about the game. He's the reason, and Coach Fitch, I became a better pass rusher this year. Teaching me how to understand how to rush, Coach Ah You was a big part of that."

Ah You is coming from a similar scheme with the Red Raiders, who also run a 3-4 defense. This move is like a glove fit; he won't have a dramatic adjustment to a new scheme, just new verbiage and play designs. Ah You is also going to have a tremendous cast of players, each with different skill sets. With TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and Jack Sawyer, Ah You will have the opportunity to work with some of the best outside linebackers in the league.

Watt's last two seasons have been on the decline; he hasn't been the same player Steelers fans have been used to seeing. He was solid in 2024, posting 11.5 sacks, but in 2025, the drop-off was noticeable. Watt had just seven sacks, his lowest total since his rookie season. Ah You will be partially tasked with helping Watt return to form in 2026.

Steelers' Pass Rush May Reach Elite Status 

From 2017-2021, the Steelers led the NFL in total sacks for five straight seasons. They even have the longest streak of games with at least one sack, but in the last few seasons, the pass rush has taken a step back. Watt is getting older, Highsmith is inconsistent, and Herbig is often injured. They haven't been able to fully unlock the true potential of these three altogether. Gill-Howard mentioned that Ah You helped him become a better pass rusher; maybe he'll help his new outside linebackers take a step forward as well.

The Steelers' edge rushers are all speed rushers, using their twitchy get-offs to round the corner. However, those moves are not working as they used to. They must incorporate more power in their rushes, including Sawyer. Watt especially however, whose get-off has gotten slower as the years have gone on. Ah You has an excellent opportunity for his first NFL job. Not many coaches get to work with this level of talent right out of the gate. It's now up to him to make it work. 

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