Steelers defensive coordinator announces retirement from NFL

Keith Butler announced the end of his career after seven years in charge and 19 with the Pittsburgh organization

PITTSBURGH — The defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Keith Butler, informed the team that he is retiring, announced the Steelers this Saturday afternoon.

“It is an emotional day as I announce that I am retiring from my football coaching career,” he wrote. Butler it’s a statement. “I have spent every year since 1990 coaching in the NFL and NCAA, but the time is right for me to leave after a successful career both playing and coaching in the game I love.”

Butler, 65 years old, has been with the organization of the Steelers for 19 years and took over from Dick LeBeau as defensive coordinator in 2015 after 12 seasons as linebackers coach.

Butler also spent four seasons as linebackers coach for the Cleveland Browns, plus he and the Browns’ head coach Steelers, Mike Tomlin, worked together on the Memphis defensive corps in 1996.

Before his coaching career, Butler he played linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks for 10 years from 1978 to 1987.

What defensive coordinator, Butler continued the tradition of organizing pressure on the dominant quarterback. The Steelers have led the league in sacks every season since 2017. In 2021, the Steelers they outscored everyone else with 55 team sacks and TJ Watt tied the single-season sack record set by Michael Strahan in 2001 with 22.5.

The defense of Steelers, however, took a step back in 2021 and often struggled against the race. The group allowed 2,483 rushing yards and five yards per carry, the worst numbers in the NFL.

An option to replace Butler he’s probably the defensive assistant and secondary defensive coach for the Steelers, Teryl Austin, who was hired by the organization in January 2019. Austin also worked as defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2017 and for a season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018.