Pittsburgh Steelers throwback helmets at practice on Oct. 24, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers have interviewed a pair of former members of the Green Bay Packers strength and conditioning staff under Mike McCarthy, a team source told Steelers Now.
The Steelers interviewed Mark Lovat and Grant Thorne last week as the team seeks to replace its entire strength and conditioning staff ahead of the 2026 season.Â
Both Lovat and Thorne are both currently assistant strength and conditioning coaches for the Tennessee Titans director of sports performance Zac Woodfin.
Lovat was a member of the Green Bay staff inherited by McCarthy when he first took the job in 2006. He was promoted to strength and conditioning coordinator in 2010, when Dave Redding retired from that position.
Lovat remained the Packers’ strength and conditioning coordinator until 2019, when McCarthy departed and new head coach Matt LaFleur swapped roles for Lovat and his former assistant, Chris Gizzi. Lovat remained with the Packers until 2024, when he left to take his current job on the Titans’ staff.
A Division I baseball player at Butler University, Lovat earned a master’s degree from California University of Pennsylvania in 2005. He is the son of longtime NFL offensive line coach Tom Lovat.
Thorne joined the Packers as a strength and conditioning consultant in 2013 before being made an assistant strength and conditioning coach in 2015. He held that job until 2023, when he followed Lovat to the Titans.
Before his time with the Packers, Thorne coached collegiately at Stanford and Purdue. A running back, wide receiver and kick returner, he played at Long Beach City College and Nicholls State, Arena Football and played rugby in England.
The Titans have removed the biographies of both Lovat and Thorne from their website as of Sunday, a sign the duo is not expected to return to Tennessee.
Phil Matusz served as the Steelers’ strength and conditioning coach over the last two seasons, a tenure which was marred by a marked increase in the number of soft-tissue injuries for the club. Matusz was hired from Boston College after longtime strength and conditioning coach Marcel Pastoor was let go ahead of the 2024 season.
Mentioned In This Article: Grant Thorne Green Bay Packers Mark Lovat Mike McCarthy Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers