Pittsburgh Steelers Fire Coach in the Middle of OTAs: A Shocking Franchise First

In a stunning move that has sent shockwaves through the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers have parted ways with a key member of their coaching staff in the middle of Organized Team Activities (OTAs).

The decision, announced early Tuesday morning, marks the first time in franchise history that the Steelers have dismissed a coach during the spring practice window, signaling a dramatic shift in the team’s culture of patience and stability.

For a franchise that has employed only three head coaches since 1969, any coaching change is noteworthy. But firing a coach in the middle of OTAs—the voluntary, non-padded practices designed to install schemes and evaluate talent—is virtually unheard of in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers, long revered for their methodical decision-making and loyalty, have chosen urgency over tradition, leaving players, analysts, and fans scrambling for answers.

The Breaking News: What Happened at OTAs?

According to multiple team sources, the dismissal occurred immediately following a heated exchange during a special teams walkthrough on Monday afternoon.

While the Steelers have not officially released the coach’s name pending final paperwork, numerous insiders confirm that the terminated coach was Special Teams Coordinator, a position that has been a revolving door of criticism in recent seasons.

Witnesses describe a tense scene on the practice fields adjacent to the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.

Quarterback Kenny Pickett and star linebacker T.J. Watt were reportedly seen speaking privately with head coach Mike Tomlin immediately after the incident.

By Tuesday morning, the coach’s office was cleared, and his biography had been removed from the team’s official website.

“This is unprecedented,” said NFL insider Jay Glazer during a segment on Fox Sports. “The Steelers don’t do this. They ride things out.

They believe in continuity above all else. For Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan to pull the trigger in May, during OTAs? That tells you something was deeply wrong behind the scenes.”

Why OTAs Matter: The Timing Could Not Be Worse

Organized Team Activities are a critical phase of the NFL calendar. Occurring in late May and early June, OTAs represent the first true opportunity for coaches to work with rookies and veterans in a controlled football environment.

There is no live tackling, but installs are serious, route concepts are refined, and special teams units begin developing chemistry.

Firing a coach in the middle of OTAs disrupts that entire rhythm. Position groups lose their daily leader. Install schedules are thrown into chaos.

And players—many of whom are fighting for roster spots—suddenly face an evaluation period without the coach who was supposed to be advocating for them.

“This is the worst possible time to make a change,” said former Steelers offensive lineman and current analyst Ramon Foster.

“You’re asking a new coach to walk in during Phase Three of the offseason and install systems on the fly. That’s tough on veterans but devastating for rookies and undrafted free agents.”

The Steelers now face a race against time. With mandatory minicamp looming in mid-June and training camp scheduled for late July, the organization must find an interim or permanent replacement who can quickly assimilate to Pittsburgh’s unique culture while fixing the specific issues that led to the firing.

Who Was Fired? A Closer Look at the Coach’s Tenure

Though the Steelers have yet to issue a formal statement, all evidence points to Special Teams Coordinator, who was entering his second season with the team after being hired in 2024 following a stint in college football. His first year in Pittsburgh was widely viewed as a disappointment.

Under his watch, the Steelers ranked near the bottom of the league in several key special teams metrics:

Punt return average allowed: 28th in the NFL

Kick return yardage: 25th

Blocked punts: 3 (tied for most in the AFC)

Field goal percentage: 82.1% (down from 89.4% the previous year)

While kicker Chris Boswell remained reliable from inside 50 yards, the coverage units consistently lost leverage, and punter Pressley Harvin III struggled with consistency.

 

 

 

The final straw may have come during a closed scrimmage last week, where the scout team reportedly returned two kickoffs for touchdowns against the first-team coverage unit.

“Special teams is about discipline and fundamentals,” one team source told ESPN on condition of anonymity. “When you see the same mistakes in May that you saw in December, you start asking hard questions. Those questions turned into a decision.”

Mike Tomlin’s Role: A Coach Under Pressure

Head coach Mike Tomlin, entering his 19th season at the helm, has never fired an assistant coach during OTAs. In fact, Tomlin has historically prided himself on stability, often retaining coordinators for multiple seasons even amid fan criticism. The departure of offensive coordinator Matt Canada mid-season in 2023 was a rare exception, but that change occurred in November—not during the spring.

Tomlin addressed the media briefly on Tuesday morning, offering little detail but confirming the organization’s commitment to winning.

“We hold ourselves to a standard here,” Tomlin said. “It’s not about the calendar. It’s about whether we are getting better every single day. We determined that a change was necessary to put our players in the best position to succeed. That decision is final.”

When pressed on why OTAs prompted the move, Tomlin replied: “Because losing isn’t seasonal. Preparation is. And we weren’t prepared.”

The brevity of Tomlin’s comments suggests internal frustration. Several league insiders believe the head coach has grown increasingly impatient with the team’s failure to win a playoff game since 2016. With a young quarterback in Kenny Pickett and a defense led by T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and rookie Joey Porter Jr., Tomlin knows the window for contention is open—but not indefinitely.

Player Reactions: Shock, Confusion, and Quiet Relief

Inside the Steelers’ locker room, reactions have been mixed. Several veteran players expressed surprise at the timing but acknowledged that performance issues had been bubbling beneath the surface for months.

“You never want to see a guy lose his job,” said one veteran defensive back who spoke on condition of anonymity. “But also, we’re all professionals. If the special teams unit isn’t ready Week 1, that’s on us as players. The coach can only do so much. That said, the energy in meetings had been off for a while.”

Other players, particularly those on special teams units, seemed quietly relieved. One special teams contributor told The Athletic: “Some of the schemes didn’t make sense. Guys were confused. And when you’re confused in OTAs, you’re lost by October. I think the front office saw that and acted before it became a disaster.”

Rookie punt returner, a seventh-round pick out of Rutgers, declined to comment but appeared visibly uneasy during media availability. His development is now in limbo, as the team has yet to name an interim special teams coach.

Historical Context: The Steelers and Coaching Stability

To understand why this firing is so shocking, one must understand the Steelers’ historic approach to coaching personnel.

From 1969 to 1991, Chuck Noll led the team, winning four Super Bowls. From 1992 to 2006, Bill Cowher took the reins, winning one championship and making two Super Bowl appearances. Mike Tomlin took over in 2007 and won Super Bowl XLIII in his second season.

In over five decades, the Steelers have fired exactly two coordinators mid-season prior to this incident: offensive coordinator Matt Canada in 2023 and defensive coordinator Tim Lewis in 2003. Neither firing occurred during OTAs. In fact, no Steelers assistant had ever been dismissed during the spring practice window—until now.

That track record is a point of pride for the Rooney family, which has owned the franchise since 1933. Art Rooney II, the team’s president, has often emphasized “Steeler way” values: patience, hard work, and loyalty. Tuesday’s move suggests those values may be evolving in the face of modern NFL pressures.

“The league has changed,” said former GM and current CBS analyst Bill Polian. “Parity is real. The margin for error is tiny. If you have a weak link on your coaching staff, especially at a phase like special teams that directly impacts field position and scoring, you can’t afford to wait until training camp. I don’t blame the Steelers one bit.”

What Comes Next? Potential Replacements

With the firing now official, the Steelers must act quickly. The leading candidates to take over as special teams coordinator—either on an interim or permanent basis—include:

Danny Smith (internal advisor) – The longtime NFL special teams coordinator currently serving as a senior consultant to Tomlin. Smith ran Pittsburgh’s special teams from 2013 to 2021 before transitioning to a front-office role. He knows the personnel and the system intimately.

Chris Horton (Baltimore Ravens assistant) – A rising star in coaching circles, Horton has coordinated the Ravens’ top-10 special teams units since 2019. However, prying him away from a division rival in May would be difficult without a significant promotion.

Dave Fipp (Detroit Lions) – Fipp turned the Lions’ special teams into a legitimate weapon. He is under contract but could be tempted by Pittsburgh’s legacy and a potential assistant head coach title.

Matt Harper (college special teams analyst) – A dark horse candidate, Harper currently serves as a special teams analyst at the University of Michigan. He has no NFL experience but has drawn praise for innovative kickoff strategies under the NFL’s new kickoff rules set to debut in 2025.

The Steelers are expected to elevate an internal candidate within 48 hours to ensure continuity, then conduct a formal search after mandatory minicamp. However, given the abrupt nature of the firing, an outside hire cannot be ruled out.

Impact on the 2025 Season and Playoff Hopes

The Pittsburgh Steelers finished the 2024 season with a 10-7 record, losing in the Wild Card round to the Buffalo Bills for the second consecutive year. While the offense showed flashes of growth under Pickett, special teams mistakes directly contributed to at least three regular-season losses and poor field position in the playoff defeat.

Analysts have long pointed to special teams as the Steelers’ Achilles’ heel. Even during their 2023 playoff push, the unit ranked 26th in DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average). A subpar punting game and unreliable kick coverage kept the defense on short fields and the offense starting drives inside their own 20-yard line far too often.

By firing their special teams coordinator now, Tomlin and Khan are signaling that 2025 is a win-now season. With a favorable schedule (facing the NFC South and AFC South), an improving offensive line, and a defense still in its prime, the Steelers have no excuses.

“If they make the right hire, this could be a blessing in disguise,” said NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. “But if they scramble and bring in someone who doesn’t fit, this could blow up. OTAs are foundational. You’re teaching habits right now. A misstep here hurts you in November.”

Fan and Media Reaction: Outrage, Confusion, and Dark Humor

As news of the firing spread across social media, Steelers fans reacted with their characteristic intensity. Hashtags like #SteelersChaos, #TomlinTakesOver, and #OTAFiring trended on X (formerly Twitter) throughout Tuesday morning.

Reactions ranged from outrage to dark humor.

“Firing a coach in May is like throwing your remote through the TV during a commercial break. Calm down, Tomlin,” tweeted @SteelCurtain72.

Others defended the move. “Finally. Our special teams has been a joke for three years. If you suck in OTAs, you’ll suck in January. Good riddance,” wrote @BurghBeliever.

Pittsburgh media outlets were equally divided. Longtime columnist Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called the decision “un-Steeler-like and potentially reckless,” while KDKA’s Rich Walsh praised Tomlin for “refusing to accept mediocrity one day longer.”

National analysts, meanwhile, largely viewed the firing as a calculated risk. “This is what aggressive teams do,” said ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky. “The Steelers are waking up. They’re tired of being good but not great. I respect it.”

A Defining Moment for the Modern Steelers

Firing a coach in the middle of OTAs is not something the Pittsburgh Steelers do. Or at least, it wasn’t. The decision to part ways with their special teams coordinator signals a philosophical shift—one that prioritizes accountability over tenure, performance over patience, and urgency over tradition.

Whether that shift pays off will depend entirely on what happens next. If the Steelers find a capable replacement who can galvanize a struggling unit before training camp, this moment will be remembered as the day Pittsburgh stopped accepting mediocrity. But if the special teams unit regresses further, if confusion lingers into September, if a blocked punt costs them a playoff game—then this firing will be seen as a panic move from an increasingly desperate franchise.

For now, all eyes are on the South Side practice facility. The Steelers have torn up the old playbook on coaching stability. The question is whether they can write a better one in time for the 2025 season.