After the Steelers abruptly fired senior special teams coach Derius Swinton II in May due to workplace misconduct, Pittsburgh head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters in early June that the team was looking to add a new assistant in his place.
It appears the team has quietly made that hire.
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First noticed by Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot, the Steelers recently updated their staff page with a new name: Darian Thompson, listed as a special teams quality control coach.
Thompson has both played and coached for McCarthy during his time in the NFL. Originally a 2016 third-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals at safety, Thompson spent the 2018-2021 seasons as a Dallas Cowboy.
Thompson finished his NFL career with 173 total tackles. He was a core special teamer for Dallas, playing 652 snaps on that side of the ball during his stint with the team.
After Thompson’s playing days were over, he signed with the Cowboys as an assistant linebackers coach and quality control coach in 2023. In 2025, he changed to a secondary/nickels coach, but wasn’t brought back in the following offseason.
Now, Thompson becomes the second special teams coach on Pittsburgh’s staff, alongside coordinator Danny Crossman.
