Less than two weeks after Brian Flores took a defensive coordinator job elsewhere, the Steelers have another subtraction from the coaching staff.
After 29 seasons in Pittsburgh, assistant head coach John Mitchell has officially retired at the age of 71. He was the longest-tenured coach on the staff, and spent the past 50 seasons coaching at the college or professional level.
"I’m grateful to the Rooney family for the wonderful opportunity to coach and work for the Steelers for nearly 30 years," Mitchell said in a press release. "It was truly an honor. I’d also like to thank Coach [Mike] Tomlin for giving me the opportunity to stay with the franchise when Coach [Bill] Cowher retired. I will treasure my time in Pittsburgh and appreciate everyone affiliated with the organization."
Mitchell was hired in 1994 as the Steelers’ defensive line coach under Cowher. He was the team’s defensive line coach until 2006. Mitchell was retained when Tomlin was hired in 2007, and served as assistant head coach/defensive line coach until 2017. He was then promoted to assistant head coach in 2018.
"I’m not sure that I can offer sufficient praise and admiration for Mitch -- as both a man and football coach," Tomlin said. "Mitch has been a central figure in the success of the Pittsburgh Steelers for nearly three decades. He has coached some of the best players in this franchise’s illustrious history, and each one of them, to a man, would tell you their success was a direct result of not only Mitch’s coaching acumen, but also his mentorship, leadership and character.
"Those traits were most evident when he chose to attend the University of Alabama. Mitch’s path not only changed his life, but the lives of so many others. It’s impossible to truly measure his impact on the game, but I’m eternally grateful for the 16 years we worked together and wish him and Joyce the absolute best in retirement."
During his playing time in college, Mitchell transferred to the University of Alabama from Eastern Arizona Junior College where he played on both the offensive and defensive lines from 1969-1970 and was twice-named a Junior College All-American. In 2021, Mitchell was inducted to the National Junior College Athletic Association Foundation Hall of Fame in its inaugural class.
After the transfer to Alabama, Mitchell became a starter at defensive end, and was the first African American to play for the Crimson Tide. He started all 24 games in his two seasons with Alabama, during which time the team compiled a 21-3 record and won two SEC championships. Mitchell earned All-SEC honors twice and All-American honors in his final season. He earned a bachelor’s degree in social work in 1972, and in 2009, he was elected to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Mitchell was honored in 2022 with a plaque on the wall outside Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Mitchell's early years in coaching were spent studying under two of college football’s greatest coaches, as he was the defensive line coach under Paul "Bear" Bryant at Alabama (1973-76) and Lou Holtz at Arkansas (1977-82).
Mitchell then took a stab at the professional level and served as the defensive line coach for the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions (1983-85). After those three years, Mitchell returned to the college ranks in 1986 as the defensive ends coach at Temple University. He was then hired by LSU in 1987, and spent four years as the Tigers' linebacker coach (1987-90). In 1990, Mitchell also served as LSU’s defensive coordinator, becoming the first African American defensive coordinator in SEC history.
Mitchell began his NFL coaching career in 1991 with the Browns for three seasons as the defensive line coach before being hired by the Steelers.
"Coach Mitch has been a pivotal member of the Steelers organization, in a variety of roles, for the better part of 30 years," Art Rooney II said. "When you consider his path, as both a player and coach, Mitch created opportunities in football for young Black men that quite honestly didn’t previously exist. He has left an imprint on this franchise, and the sport and culture of football, that will continue well beyond his retirement."
