PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line coach John Mitchell has added the title of assistant head coach, a promotion announced as the team opened training camp Monday.
Mitchell has been a Pittsburgh assistant for 14 seasons - the longest tenure of any current Steelers coach, now that running backs coach Dick Hoak has retired after 35 years. Mitchell has spent 17 seasons as an NFL assistant with the Steelers and Browns after coaching 15 seasons in college and two in the USFL.
Mitchell, a former defensive end at Alabama, was the first black assistant coach to be a defensive coordinator in the Southeastern Conference when he held that job at LSU.
"John Mitchell is a very respected coach in this league and well respected in this organization," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.
Mitchell succeeds former offensive line coach Russ Grimm as assistant head coach. Grimm, formerly the offensive line coach, left the Steelers after not getting their head coaching job in January and now has the same job with the Arizona Cardinals.
