The Pittsburgh Steelers have parted ways with senior assistant special teams coach Derius Swinton II due to a violation of club policy, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Pittsburgh Steelers and Sr. special teams coach Derrius Swinton have parted ways due to violation of club policy, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 29, 2026
It’s unknown what the violation was.
The Steelers hired Swinton in February, a week after special teams coordinator Danny Crossman. He joined the team after recent stints with the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers. Swinton’s also been a coach with the Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, and Kansas City Chiefs.
Swinton was Las Vegas’ interim special teams coach last season after special teams coordinator Tom McMahon was fired in November. With the Raiders, he coached alongside Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
He’s twice held a full-time title as special teams coordinator, in 2016 with the San Francisco 49ers and in 2021 with the Los Angeles Chargers. Each time, he lasted just one season in the role.
It’s unknown whether the Steelers will hire a replacement. Swinton was an assistant to Crossman, giving the Steelers two special teams coaches, a rarity in Pittsburgh.
The news comes as the Steelers are in the middle of OTAs, with mandatory minicamp set to begin next week. Pittsburgh’s special teams units have been overhauled this offseason, with veterans such as Miles Killebrew, James Pierre and Connor Heyward signing elsewhere. The team will also have a new punter as Corliss Waitman signed with the San Francisco 49ers, and the Steelers signed Cameron Johnston this offseason.
One constant in the special teams room is kicker Chris Boswell, who signed a new extension this offseason. Boswell remains one of the best kickers in football, but overall, it’ll be a new look on special teams both staff-wise and on the field.
Most teams have their coaching staff set by this point, so the hiring pool to find a potential replacement for Swinton will be smaller. It’s unusual timing for a coaching change, and it’s also unusual for a coach to be fired for violating club policy. The Steelers are usually a tight-lipped organization, so we may never find out what led to them letting Swinton go.
The Steelers will move forward with Crossman as their lone special teams coach for now, and the Pitt graduate will look to replicate the success that Pittsburgh’s special teams units had under Danny Smith.