The Steelers have officially hired Mike McCarthy as their next head coach. Now, he will have to build his new coaching staff, starting with his coordinators.
Commanders pass game coordinator Jason Simmons and Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham are Pittsburgh’s first two candidates for their DC job, per Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show.
Simmons, 49, has multiple connections with the Steelers. The 1998 fifth-round pick spent the first three years of his playing career in Pittsburgh. After he retired, his first coaching job was under McCarthy in Green Bay. Simmons worked for the Packers for nine years, primarily coaching the secondary with a two-year stint as an assistant special teams coach. He then took on defensive pass game coordinator roles with the Panthers and Raiders before joining Dan Quinn’s staff in Washington.
Graham, 47, has been the Raiders’ defensive coordinator since 2022. He started his coaching career in college before landing his first NFL job with the Patriots. After seven years in New England, he spent two years as the Giants’ defensive line coach before joining the Packers in 2018, McCarthy’s last year in Green Bay. Since then, Graham has held defensive coordinator jobs with the Dolphins and Giants. He was then hired by former colleague and then-Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels
Hiring Simmons would continue the Steelers’ pattern of investing in players and coaches that have a history with Pittsburgh – the franchise or the city. Outgoing defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, for example, grew up 60 miles outside of Pittsburgh and played college football at Pitt. McCarthy grew up in the city, which appeared to be a factor in his hiring, and current starting cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is the son of legendary Steelers linebacker Joey Porter. That is not to say Simmons is not a worthy candidate; he quickly reformed the Commanders pass defense after arriving in Washington, though the unit regressed significantly this past season.
Graham brings no direct connections to the Steelers outside of his one year under McCarthy in Green Bay. In the last three years, the Raiders’ defense has been their stronger side of the ball by far with three middle-of-the-pack finishes in yards allowed. The offense, by contrast, has been a bottom-10 unit.