New coordinator Danny Crossman faces a daunting task: transforming a struggling Pittsburgh Steelers special teams unit ranked near the bottom of the league.
As former coach Mike Tomlin might say, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ special teams play was below the line this season.
The Steelers were 20th in the NFL in field goal percentage, 21st in punt returns and average length of kickoffs, 25th in punting, 26th in punts for touchback percentage, and 28th in kickoff returns. Pittsburgh still went 10-7 before losing to the Houston Texans in an AFC Wild Card playoff game. However, special teams coordinator Danny Smith left after 13 seasons to take the same job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Danny Crossman will be asked to elevate many facets after being hired as special teams coordinator on Monday under new head coach Mike McCarthy. Crossman has been an STC in the NFL for 18 seasons with the Carolina Panthers (2007-09), Detroit Lions (2010-12), Buffalo Bills (2013-18), and Miami Dolphins (2019-24).
The 59-year-old Crossman began his career as an assistant coach at the Coast Guard Academy in 1993. Crossman also had college stops as an assistant at Western Kentucky, UCF, Georgia Tech, and Michigan State. The Panthers hired Crossman to join their coaching staff in 2003, and he has been in the NFL ever since.
Crossman played three seasons as a defensive back in the NFL with Washington (1990) and the Lions (1991-92), but never appeared in a regular-season game due to injuries. He was the MVP of the inaugural World League of American Football championship game in 1991 when he had three interceptions to help the London Monarchs win the title.
Steelers fans should be familiar with Crossman as he played at Pitt from 1987-89 following a transfer from Kansas. Crossman starred at defensive back and fullback for the Panthers and was a second-team All-America pick on defense as a senior.
Crossman is a native of El Paso, Texas.
Additionally, six-time Pro Bowl selection Jahri Evans was hired by the Steelers on Monday as assistant offensive line coach to James Campen. Evans, 42, held the same position with the New Orleans Saints for the last three seasons.
An All-Pro guard four times in his 12-year career, Evans played with the Saints (2006-16) and Green Bay Packers (2017), where McCarthy was the head coach.
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