Shortly after the Pittsburgh Steelers lost in the Wild Card round, the team and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau agreed to a "mutual parting." At the time, LeBeau said he wasn't planning to retire and was looking for another team. On Thursday, the Tennessee Titans officially named LeBeau to their coaching staff as assistant head coach, and he will be in charge of the team's defense.
Dick LeBeau joins Titans as assistant head coach
The longtime Steelers defensive coordinator reunites with former colleagues in Tennessee.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The move reunites LeBeau with Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt and defensive coordinator Ray Horton. Whisenhunt served as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator during their title run in 2005 when LeBeau called the defense and Horton was the defensive backs coach. The Tennessean reported Tuesday that the two reconnected shortly after Lebeau’s departure from Pittsburgh.
Though Horton remains the defensive coordinator, LeBeau will be in charge of the defense and Horton will work with him in tandem on the game plan and play-calling. The Titans made the switch to a high-pressure 3-4 scheme when Horton arrived last offseason.
Creating pressure is something LeBeau is familiar with. In his multiple stints on the Steelers coaching staff, he helped design the zone blitz 3-4 defense that several teams now employ, including the Green Bay Packers. LeBeau called the defense for the Pittsburgh team that won titles in 2005 and 2008, while also reaching the Super Bowl during the 2010 season.
LeBeau’s resume as a defensive coordinator is hard to top. Since re-joining Pittsburgh in 2004, LeBeau’s defenses finished in the top 10 in yards allowed nine times, including five times leading the league. The Steelers had a top-five scoring defense eight times during that span.
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