Coach Mike Tomlin continues to interview candidates for staff openings, which he reduced by one after the Steelers announced the hiring of a new special teams coach.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported early this week that the hiring of Al Everest was imminent, and the Steelers announced it yesterday. Everest, 59, was fired by the San Francisco 49ers after the season. Tomlin also interviewed Bobby April for the job, but April was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Tomlin continues his search for a wide receivers coach, a possible secondary coach and a defensive assistant. He interviewed former Steelers linebacker Jerry Olsavsky for the job of defensive assistant yesterday after interviewing former Steelers linebacker Earl Holmes Wednesday.
Everest replaces Bob Ligashesky, who was fired by Tomlin as the special teams coordinator after three seasons. Amos Jones, the assistant special teams coach, remains on the staff.
According to the Steelers, Everest will "oversee all areas of the Steelers' special teams" under the title of special teams coordinator. He coached for the 49ers the past three season and with the New Orleans Saints (2000-05) and Arizona Cardinals (1996-99). He was NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year in 2002 when those Cardinals units had three touchdown returns and five blocked kicks. He has 37 years of coaching experience in the pros (including NFL Europe, the Canadian Football League and pro football in Italy) and college (in the U.S. and Mexico), in addition to seven years of coaching baseball at the U.S. International University.
First Published: January 22, 2010, 5:00 a.m.