Steelers make hiring Gerald Alexander as new DB coach official

The Pittsburgh Steelers fan base has been wanting change this offseason, and they haven’t had the type of change which would satisfy their need for said change. To date, the only change which has been made was inside linebackers coach Aaron Curry leaving the Steelers for the New York Jets.

There is more change on the horizon, and it is now made official the Steelers are hiring Gerald Alexanders as their new defensive backs coach.

This per the Steelers official Twitter/X account:

We have named Gerald Alexander as our defensive backs coach.

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) February 11, 2025

As for Alexander’s history, he was a player in the league, drafted out of Boise State, before getting into the coaching realm. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions, but also spent time playing for the Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.

When it comes to coaching, Alexander got his start in college as a graduate assistant. He went from Arkansas State to Washington State as a GA before becoming the secondary coach of Indiana State and Montana Sate. From there he went to Cal to coach defensive backs through the 2019 season.

In 2020 was when Alexander took the jump from college to the NFL when he was hired by the Miami Dolphins with then coach Brian Flores, and he held that job until the 2022 season when he was fired after Flores was let go as the coach of Miami.

Following his departure from Miami he was hired as a secondary assistant for the Pittsburgh Steelers. During his time with the Steelers he helped a secondary tied for first in the league in interceptions with 20 in 2022. Minkah Fitzpatrick led the group with a career-high and league-leading six interceptions, earning Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro honors.

In 2024 Alexander coached the secondary in Las Vegas under Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce, but was let go when Pierce was fired and Pete Carroll was brought in as the new head coach.

Alexander’s familiarity with the Steelers makes sense, but the biggest question many are asking is what does this mean for Grady Brown? As of this being written, Brown is still listed on the Steelers official website as the secondary coach, with Anthony Midget as the team’s secondary assistant.

Is Alexander an addition to the coaching staff, or is he replacing Brown, who saw his contract expire at the end of the season, or is Brown leaving for a new opportunity? Only time will tell, but be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the rest of the offseason.

UPDATE:

Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette confirmed Brown’s contract was not renewed at the end of the season.

The Steelers named Gerald Alexanders their defensive backs coach today. Grady Brown, the secondary coach since 2021, did not have his contract renewed.

— Ray Fittipaldo (@rayfitt1) February 11, 2025