The Pittsburgh Steelers have made some sweeping changes to their team this offseason, but their biggest change came as a result of a move they didn’t want to make. After the conclusion of the 2025 campaign, Mike Tomlin abruptly resigned from his post as the team’s head coach, which led the Steelers to go out and hire Mike McCarthy as his replacement.
McCarthy quickly got to work on building out his coaching staff, and for the most part, this group is set in stone. However, the team fired senior special teams assistant Derius Swinton in May, which meant McCarthy was likely going to have to find a replacement. And according to several reports, it seems like he has decided to reunite with another former member of his coaching staff from his days with the Dallas Cowboys.
Mike McCarthy Hires Former Cowboys Safety Darian Thompson
While McCarthy didn’t coach in the NFL last year, he’s been working in the NFL in some capacity since all the way back in 1993, when he got his start with the Kansas City Chiefs as an offensive quality control coach. As a result, McCarthy knows a lot of people across the league, so when he took over as the Steelers’ head coach, he quickly brought his guys to town with him.
Swinton was one of the few guys McCarthy didn’t have direct experience with, but he still brought him to town after he worked as the Las Vegas Raiders‘ interim special teams coordinator last year. However, a workplace misconduct situation resulted in Swinton’s abrupt firing, forcing McCarthy to find a new guy to come in and work on the special teams coaching staff.
That led McCarthy to another one of his old friends, Darian Thompson. After spending six years in the NFL as a safety, with his final two years in the pros seeing him play for McCarthy, Thompson transitioned to coaching, and he spent his first two years working for McCarthy while with the Cowboys. Now, he’s reuniting with the legendary coach in Pittsburgh, as he’s been hired as a special teams quality control assistant.
“The Steelers have made an addition to their coaching staff. Multiple outlets noted that the Steelers have added Darian Thompson to the list of coaches on their website. Thompson is listed as a special teams quality control assistant,” Josh Alper wrote for ProFootballTalk.
Steelers Turn Their Attention to Training Camp
GettyPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – JUNE 11: Mike McCarthy of the Pittsburgh Steelers talks with quarterbacks at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on June 11, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
With Thompson in town now, McCarthy’s coaching staff once again appears to be complete. Considering how he hasn’t worked on this side of the ball at all early in his coaching career, this will be a bit of a change of pace for Thompson, but McCarthy clearly believes he’s up for the task, or else he wouldn’t have hired him.
For the most part, the Steelers have made all the changes to their team that they are going to make this offseason. The team will enjoy the next month or so off before they turn their attention to training camp late in July, and once they finally take the field, we will begin to get a sense of what Pittsburgh will look like in its first year under McCarthy’s lead.
Mike McCarthy Adds Former Cowboys Safety to Steelers Coaching Staff