It’s not a former NFL head coach, but the Pittsburgh Steelers added an assistant coach with nine years of NFL experience on March 20. The Steelers announced hiring Anthony Midget as the team’s assistant secondary coach.
Most recently, Midget was defensive backs coach for the Tennessee Titans from 2020-22. He coached the secondary for the Houston Texans the six years prior to that.
The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly called Midget “way overqualified for the job.”
“Good win for the staff,” wrote Kaboly on X (formerly Twitter).
Midget never appeared in an NFL regular season game, but he spent time in the league as a player. He spent two seasons on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad.
Steelers Hire Anthony Midget as Assistant DB Coach
Midget began his NFL coaching career with the Texans on Bill O’Brien’s staff in 2014. He served as assistant secondary coach from 2014-17. He then received a promotion to secondary coach in 2018.
The Texans posted a 52-44 record with Midget on the coaching staff for six seasons. They suffered only one losing season during that time.
During Midget’s first season in Houston, the Texans were 21st in passing yards allowed. But the following season, the Texans jumped to third in pass defense. They also finished second in passing yards allowed in 2016.
While Midget was on the coaching staff, the Texans were ranked in the top 10 in interceptions twice as well.
Midget joined the Titans coaching staff as defensive backs coach in 2020. In Tennessee, he served under head coach Mike Vrabel, who was the Texans defensive coordinator in 2017.
The Titans were seventh in interceptions during Midget’s first season. But Tennessee never finished better than 25th in passing yards allowed. During 2022, they were last in pass defense, which led to the Titans firing Midget.
He didn’t coach in the NFL last season.
Midget Also Brings College Coaching Experience to Pittsburgh
Midget actually began coaching at the high school level in Florida in 2002. He then became a graduate assistant at his alum mater, Virginia Tech.
Following the 2007 season with the Hokies, Midget joined the coaching staff at Georgia State. He began as the team’s defensive backs coach from 2008-11 before becoming the program’s defensive coordinator in 2012.
Midget served as Penn State’s safeties coach in 2013 and then made the leap to the NFL the following season.
The new Steelers assistant played college football at Virginia Tech from 1996-99. He recorded 5 interceptions in 33 games as a 3-year starter.
During his senior season, he earned third-team All-American honors. Midget was also a member of first-team All-Big East.
The Atlanta Falcons drafted Midget at No. 134 overall in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL draft. He was a member of the Tampa Bay practice squad in 2000 and 2001.
Pundits have floated the Steelers as a possible destination for an experienced NFL coach this offseason. Specifically, media members connected the Steelers with ex-NFL head coaches Vrabel and long-time offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
The Steelers hired former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator. But outside of that addition, the Steelers hadn’t hired another assistant this offseason with a lot of experience.
A small person will be coaching the defensive backs for the Steelers alongside secondary coach Grady Brown.
