The Pittsburgh Steelers have hired Steve Scarnecchia, the former chief of staff and coaching operations for the Atlanta Falcons, to Mike McCarthy’s new staff, per NFL insider Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. It’s unclear what role Scharnecchia will have with the Steelers.

#Steelers hire former #Falcons chief of staff of coaching operations Steve Scarnecchia, the son of Dante Scarnecchia, for Mike McCarthy new staff, per a league source. Previously #Jets chief of staff @KPRC2

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) February 1, 2026

Scarnecchia’s father, Dante, was a longtime offensive line coach in the NFL and spent 34 years coaching with the New England Patriots. Steve followed in his father’s footsteps in the coaching profession, getting his start in the video department for the Patriots before working his way up to become the assistant head coach for the Atlanta Falcons, a job he held from 2015-2020. He left the Falcons to serve as chief of staff for the Jets from 2021-2023 before returning to Atlanta and serving in the chief of staff role the last two seasons.

During his stint as the assistant head coach in Atlanta, the Falcons made a run to the Super Bowl in 2016.

Scarnecchia also served as the director of football operations at his alma mater, Syracuse University, from 2011-2015. He’s never worked for McCarthy before, making him the first reported hire to the Steelers’ new staff that doesn’t have any ties as someone who had played for or coached under McCarthy

Scarnecchia was involved in the Spygate scandal during his initial run with the Patriots working in their video department, and he also was fired by the Denver Broncos in 2010 for filming a walkthrough by the San Francisco 49ers ahead of a game in London between the two teams.

While it’s unclear what role he’ll have with the Steelers, another chief of staff role or an assistant to the head coach role, the two primary jobs Scarnecchia has had in the NFL, would make sense. Both roles would be jobs that the Steelers haven’t previously had under Mike Tomlin, but the coaching staff was expected to expand under Mike McCarthy and adding Scarnecchia to a newly-created title would make sense.

We’ll likely get clarity on what Scarnecchia’s official role is when the team announces the hire.