Steelers round out their coaching staff by hiring Grady Brown as DB coach

The Steelers only have one known vacancy on their coaching staff, and it looks like they might be filling that opening.

After the Pittsburgh Steelers promoted/hired names like Matt Canada, Adrian Klemm and others, it left just one known coaching vacancy on their coaching staff. That was the role formerly held by Tom Bradley as the team’s secondary coach.

At one point fans wondered if the team would just have Teryl Austin handle the duties of secondary coach, but it looks as if they will indeed be hiring a new secondary coach. It is being reported the Steelers are expected to hire former Houston cornerbacks coach Grady Brown.

Brown most recently spent the 2021 season at the University of Houston as the cornerbacks coach with head coach Dana Holgorson. Prior to his stint with Houston, he was the defensive coordinator at McNeese State. Before arriving at McNeese, he spent 2019 at Old Dominion as the co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs. Prior to joining Old Dominion, he spent the 2018 season at Louisville as the Cardinals’ recruiting coordinator and cornerbacks coach. In his one season at Louisville, the Cardinals ranked No. 40 in the country in pass defense. In 2017, Brown spent one season as the safeties coach at Alabama State.

He was also the defensive coordinator at Birmingham Southern in 2016 and prior to that was at South Carolina for four years coaching the defensive backs. Under Brown’s tutelage, USC ranked No. 12 in FBS in pass defense in 2013 and No. 13 in interceptions (18). At South Carolina he recruited Skai Moore, who finished his career tied for first in South Carolina history in interceptions.

These are just the recent stops for Brown, as he has a lengthy history as coaching in the collegiate ranks. However, this will be Brown’s first stop in the NFL.

Will this be the end of the Steelers’ coaching hires? Unless they create a position, or hire an outside linebackers coach, a position currently held by defensive coordinator Keith Butler, it seems Mike Tomlin’s 2021 staff is in place.

Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC to see if/when this hire becomes official, as well as all the latest news and notes surrounding the black and gold as they prepare for the new league year, NFL Free Agency and the 2021 NFL Draft.

UPDATE:

The move has been made, and the Steelers welcome Grady Brown to the team as the official defensive backs coach. At this point, the only new hires the Steelers make will be at a position which would be created.