{"id":730944,"date":"2026-02-05T10:51:38","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T10:51:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/730944\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T10:51:38","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T10:51:38","slug":"report-steelers-hiring-joe-whitt-jr-as-assistant-head-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/730944\/","title":{"rendered":"Report: Steelers Hiring Joe Whitt Jr. As Assistant Head Coach"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pittsburgh Steelers are hiring longtime NFL coach Joe Whitt Jr. as the team\u2019s assistant head coach, per NFL Network\u2019s Tom Pelissero.<\/a> Whitt will also work as a secondary coach.<\/p>\n

As Pelissero notes, Whitt has a long history with head coach Mike McCarthy and reunite after spending more than a decade in Green Bay. He\u2019s the latest hire to have strong ties to McCarthy previously.<\/p>\n

The Steelers are hiring former Commanders DC Joe Whitt Jr. as assistant head coach\/secondary coach, sources say. <\/p>\n

Whitt, 47, spent 11 seasons on Mike McCarthy\u2019s staff with the Packers. Now, they\u2019re reunited in Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com\/8fwVxOVIJk<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

He previously served as the Washington Commanders\u2019 defensive coordinator the past two seasons. But the unit\u2019s 2025 struggles saw him stripped of his play calling duties<\/a> midseason and fired after the year ended. Now, he\u2019ll follow Jason Simmons, who he worked with in Washington, to Pittsburgh. Simmons holds the title of defensive pass game coordinator\/secondary coach, meaning Whitt may be tabbed as an assistant defensive backs coach along with his assistant head coach title.<\/p>\n

Whitt was on our list of potential coaches McCarthy could hire<\/a> to his new staff. We listed him as an option as new defensive coordinator but noted a smaller role as an assistant would be ideal. That appears to be the team\u2019s plan. Assistant head coach is often more of a ceremonial title, though Whitt could also assist McCarthy with challenge decisions and other in-game feedback on gamedays. During the Mike Tomlin era, longtime DL Coach John Mitchell held the title. No other coach had it after Mitchell retired following the 2022 season.<\/p>\n

Whitt has coached in the NFL since 2007, breaking into the league as the Atlanta Falcons\u2019 assistant DBs coach. The following year, McCarthy hired him as a defensive assistant. In 2009, he was promoted to cornerbacks coach and held the title through 2017. In 2018, he was elevated to the Packers\u2019 pass game coordinator.<\/p>\n

After McCarthy was fired in 2018, Whitt became the Cleveland Browns\u2019 pass game coordinator\/secondary coach in 2019. He held the same title with Atlanta in 2020 and was hired again by McCarthy with the Dallas Cowboys in 2021. In 2024, the Commanders poached him to become the team\u2019s defensive coordinator.<\/p>\n

In 2024, Washington ranked 18th in scoring defense, 13th in yards allowed, and 20th in takeaways. The unit struggled in the playoffs and allowed 55 points in the NFC Title Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, though four turnovers didn\u2019t help the team\u2019s cause. In 2025, Washington\u2019s defense regressed to finish 27th in points allowed and dead last in yards.<\/p>\n

Our Steelers\u2019 coaching staff tracker is fully updated with Wednesday\u2019s flurry of hirings.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s Whitt\u2019s complete bio below.<\/p>\n