Arthur Smith isn’t the only Pittsburgh Steelers coordinator who could land the same job elsewhere next season. The same could be the case for Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala reported Friday that Austin has interviewed for the Washington Commanders defensive coordinator opening. It’s the first known interview opportunity Austin has received this offseason.
Austin coordinated the Steelers defense from 2022-25. He also has defensive coordinator experience from stints with the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals.
Teryl Austin Interviews for Washington Commanders DC Role: Report
Austin possesses 35 years of coaching experience at the NFL and college levels. His first NFL job came with the Seattle Seahawks, coaching defensive backs in 2003.
Over the past 15 years, Austin coached under Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh. Austin received his first defensive coordinator opportunity with the Lions in 2014.
His Detroit unit was outstanding that season. The Lions finished second in yards and third in points allowed. Since then, though, his defenses have failed to reach elite status statistically.
In 2018, Austin’s Bengals defense was one of the worst in history. Cincinnati finished last in yards allowed and 30th in points yielded.
After just one season in Cincinnati, Austin joined the Steelers coaching staff as a senior defensive assistant and secondaries coach in 2019. Following three years in that role, he replaced a retiring Keith Butler as defensive coordinator.
Over four seasons with the Steelers, Austin’s unit was ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense three times. However, they never finished in the top 10 in yards allowed.
Austin’s defense often relied upon takeaways. The Steelers finished in the top eight in takeaways during each of the past three years. During 2024, they were first in the category.
But when those takeaways didn’t come, the Steelers defense often couldn’t stop top opposing offenses. In 2025, Pittsburgh was 26th in yards allowed and 29th in pass defense.
Before 2025, the Steelers hadn’t been ranked that lowly in total defense since 1988 when they finished 28th in yards allowed.
Steelers Assistants Interviewing for Other Opportunities
With Austin’s interview in Washington, all three Steelers coordinators from last year are candidates (or already hired) with other teams.
Pundits have linked Smith to multiple opportunities both as a head coach and offensive coordinator. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired longtime Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Smith on Tuesday.
After Tomlin stepped down on January 13, the Steelers notified all of their coaching assistants that if they were going to be retained, they would have to be rehired by the team’s next head coach. That allowed the three coordinators and the rest of the staff to freely interview elsewhere.
Obviously, Danny Smith definitely won’t be back. Since he has yet to be hired, there’s a chance Arthur Smith could still return.
However, it seems unlikely Austin will be back regardless. The Steelers defense arguably got worse during his tenure.
The statistics suggest it was one of the worst four-year periods for the team’s defense during the Super Bowl era. Considering the amount of money the Steelers have invested on defense, that was greatly disappointing.
If the Steelers hire a defensive-minded head coach such as Chris Shula, Anthony Weaver or Brian Flores, they are likely to want their own appointed defensive coordinator anyway.
The Commanders are looking to replace fired defensive coordinator Joe Whitt this offseason. Washington finished 27th in points allowed and last in yards yielded during 2025.
Steelers Assistant Could Get Hired Away for DC Opening: Report