The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to name Texas Tech outside linebackers coach C.J. Ah You as their new outside linebackers coach, according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero. Ah You interviewed for the job with the Steelers on Tuesday.
Ah You was a part of a Texas Tech staff that presided over one of the best defenses in football, led by LB Jacob Rodriguez and EDGE David Bailey. Bailey is one of the top prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft, while Rodriguez is viewed as a Day 2 prospect. EDGE Romello Height is another prospect Ah You worked with who is expected to be drafted.
The team yesterday hired Shawn Howe from Montana State, reportedly to coach outside linebackers and EDGE defenders. It’s unclear how the responsibility will be divided between Ah You and Howe, or if both will have the outside linebackers coach title. Howe was not formally announced as a hire yesterday, so his title is currently unclear beyond the report that he’s expected to work with outside linebackers.
A former defensive end, Ah You spent three seasons in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams. He totaled six sacks and 41 tackles in 33 games. Ah You’s addition continues a trend of Mike McCarthy hiring former players to his staff. He joins defensive line coach Domato Peko and defensive pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach Jason Simmons as former NFL players on the defensive staff. Ah You is also Pittsburgh’s third hire that comes directly from the college ranks, joining Howe and Peko.
Ah You is replacing Denzel Martin, who was Pittsburgh’s outside linebackers coach for three seasons but had been with the team since 2016. The Steelers will be his first NFL job, but he’s had multiple stops in college. The 43-year-old began his coaching career as a special teams quality control coach with Oklahoma in 2015 before coaching Vanderbilt’s defensive line from 2016-2018, and he coached defensive line for the New York Guardians of the XFL in 2020. He went to USC as a defensive analyst in 2021, and had been with Texas Tech since the 2022 season, serving as interim defensive coordinator for the team’s bowl game in 2024.
Ah You helped developed Bailey, a Stanford transfer, into a surefire first-round pick after he picked up 14.5 sacks last season, more than double his previous career high of seven. It’s clear geting after the quarterback is something that is important to him, and he’ll work with one of the best outside linebacker rooms in football with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and Jack Sawyer in the Black and Gold.
The Steelers seem to be getting closer to finalizing their coaching staff. With McCarthy running the show, it’s a bigger staff than the Steelers have previously had under Mike Tomlin, and more coaches will likely be added in the coming days.