The Pittsburgh Steelers were very busy Wednesday, hiring and/or closing in on adding several assistants to their coaching staff. It sounds as though two assistants Mike McCarthy is about to hire on his first Steelers staff will coach the offensive line.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported Wednesday the Steelers are targeting one former offensive line coach from the Green Bay Packers and another who coached the Dallas Cowboys offensive line in 2025.
“Other top candidates McCarthy is looking to add to his staff are former Packers offensive line coach James Campen and former Cowboys assistant line coach Ramon Chinyoung,” Dulac wrote. “Campen, 61, was with McCarthy for each of his 13 seasons in Green Bay — beginning as an assistant offensive line coach/run game coordinator.
“Chinyoung has been with the Cowboys since McCarthy hired him in 2023.”
Since 2019, Campen has coached offensive lines in some capacity for the Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers. However, Campen hasn’t coached in the league the past two seasons.
Chinyoung remained the Cowboys assistant offensive line coach and offensive quality control coach in 2025 under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
Mike McCarthy Adding More Familiarity to Steelers Coaching Staff
Some Steelers fans criticized McCarthy on social media Wednesday for appearing to target coaches he’s previously worked with in his career. In addition to Campen and Chinyoung nearly having jobs in Pittsburgh, NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported McCarthy hired Adam Henry as wide receivers coach Wednesday.
Henry coached wide receivers under McCarthy in Dallas for two years.
But that’s generally how NFL coaching hires work — head coaches should and do conduct the hires and searches. Coaches they are already familiar and work well with have the edge in the hiring process.
McCarthy has coached in the NFL for 31 seasons, including 18 as a head coach. He has plenty of contacts in coaching circles to use to fill out his first staff in Pittsburgh.
The two offensive line assistants are just the two latest examples.
Campen was an assistant offensive line coach for the Packers before the team hired McCarthy. From 2004-05, Campen served as assistant offensive line/quality control coach under Mike Sherman.
In 2006, he remained on staff with McCarthy. Before the second season of McCarthy’s tenure, Campen received a promotion to offensive line coach.
Chinyoung is less experienced. He began his NFL coaching career with the Denver Broncos in 2022.
The past three years, he’s been on the Cowboys staff mentoring the offensive line.
Steelers Offensive Line Depth Entering 2026
Landing both Campen and Chinyoung could be great for the Steelers offensive line, which is still young and developing. In 2025, the Steelers started four linemen who were 25 years old or younger.
The unit played fairly well. But the line still has more upside, especially along the tackles with former first-round picks Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu.
Helping those two tackles realize their potential will be the top priority of the Steelers next offensive line coaches.
Center Zach Frazier and right guard Mason McCormick are young as well. Frazier appears to have upside that could make him one of the best centers in the league.
The left guard, the Steelers may need to develop a new starter. Isaac Seumalo is an unrestricted free agent this March.
But Seumalo could potentially return if the Steelers find his experience valuable enough to re-sign.
McCarthy is replacing Steelers former offensive line coach Pat Meyer and assistant offensive line coach Isaac Williams. Meyer had been on Pittsburgh coaching staff tutoring the offensive line since 2022.
Mike McCarthy ‘Looking to Add’ OLine Assistants From Packers, Cowboys Ties: Report