Jan. 23, 2026, 5:06 p.m. ET
You can add another name to the Washington Commanders‘ ever-expanding search for a new defensive coordinator.
Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reported Friday that longtime NFL assistant Teryl Austin had recently interviewed with the Commanders. Austin, 60, has spent the past four seasons as Mike Tomlin’s defensive coordinator with the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Tomlin recently stepping down, Austin is free to speak with other teams.
Austin played cornerback at the University of Pittsburgh and actually entered the NFL as a member of the Washington Redskins. However, he didn’t make the team and then pursued a career in the Canadian Football League before turning his attention to coaching in 1991. After 12 seasons as a college assistant at Penn State, Wake Forest, Syracuse and Michigan, Austin began his NFL coaching career in 2003 with the Seattle Seahawks. He is a three-time NFL defensive coordinator and has interviewed for multiple head coaching positions over the years.
Here’s a look at each of Austin’s NFL stops:
Seattle Seahawks (2003-06): Defensive backs coachArizona Cardinals (2007-09): Defensive backs coach2010: Left the NFL for one season to serve as the University of Florida’s defensive coordinatorBaltimore Ravens (2011-13): Secondary coachDetroit Lions (2014-17): Defensive coordinatorCincinnati Bengals (2018): Defensive coordinatorPittsburgh Steelers (2019-21): Senior defensive assistant & secondary coachPittsburgh Steelers (2022-25): Defensive coordinatorExpert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
Austin is a respected coach, having spent a total of nine seasons as an NFL defensive coordinator. However, his defenses haven’t been among the NFL’s best in recent years.
Washington has interviewed at least eight candidates for the position, with Brian Flores returning to Minnesota unless he lands a head coaching job. The Commanders’ rumored top candidate, Jeff Ulbrich, was retained by the Atlanta Falcons.
This week, Washington also interviewed Bears’ pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach Al Harris. The Commanders fired defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. on January 6, two days after the 2025 season ended.