The Pittsburgh Steelers made official Wednesday the hiring of former Pitt player Scott McCurley as the team’s inside linebackers coach.
McCurley replaces Aaron Curry, who left the Steelers to accept a position with the New York Jets.
A New Castle native, McCurley, 44, spent the past five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys under his long-time mentor, Mike McCarthy, whose contract as head coach expired after the 2024 season. McCurley’s name surfaced as a candidate last week for the vacant Steelers position.
McCurley worked under McCarthy during a 13-year run with the Green Bay Packers. He began working in coaching administration in 2006 and was promoted to a defensive quality control coach in 2009. After spending five years in that position, McCurley was promoted to assistant linebackers coach in 2014. He worked in that capacity until becoming a defensive assistant in 2018.
After spending the 2019 season out of football, as did McCarthy, McCurley joined McCarthy in Dallas for the 2020 season. With the Cowboys, McCurley worked with perennial defensive player of the year candidate Micah Parsons at linebacker.
In 2024, the Cowboys linebackers accounted for 22 of the team’s 52 sacks, ranking third in the NFL in that category. The previous year, the Cowboys led the NFL with the fewest missed tackles, and they led the NFL in takeaways in the 2021-22 seasons.
At Pitt, McCurley began as a walk-on but became a scholarship athlete and lettered four years at linebacker from 1999-2002. After graduating in 2003, McCurley stayed at Pitt as a graduate defensive assistant.
McCurley is the second new defensive assistant to join coach Mike Tomlin’s staff this offseason. Gerald Alexander returned to the organization after one season in Las Vegas and will coach the team’s defensive backs. Alexander replaces Grady Brown, whose contract was not renewed.