Under Mike McCarthy, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a nearly entirely new coaching staff. We’ve covered virtually all of the handful of holdovers: QBs coach Tom Arth, ILBs coach Scott McCurley, director of player development Darrel Young, and assistant strength & conditioning coach Justus Galac. We’ve also spent plenty of time talking about the new faces. Starting with the coordinators, of course, but also the key position coach hires.

One forgotten but critical member of the new-look staff is head strength & conditioning coach Mark Lovat. The S&C staff plays a foundational role in player readiness. How they train, sleep, eat, and take care of their bodies all correlate to maximizing their physical talent.

Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley recently interviewed Lovat as part of her series getting to know the new coaches. Lovat’s answers were encouraging and reflected his NFL experience.

“I think you’ve got to stick to your principles,” Lovat told Varley. “That’s the number one thing. Once you know your principles, you stick to your principles. It’s just like life. When you stick to your principles, things generally go well. And when you deviate from principles, things get a little sideways. It’s the same way in training. But then within those principles, you’ve got to have a lot of modalities. In other words, there’s a lot of ways to go about your principles. As long as the modalities fit the principles, you’ll be okay.

“If I’m going to squat, there’s a lot of different ways to get a squat pattern in the weight room. Not just a barbell back squat, there’s a front squat or a safety squat. Sticking to your principles but having a wide array of modalities to match those principles, to execute those principles.”

This 2016 interview dives even deeper into Lovat’s philosophy and the sports science side he and Mike McCarthy embraced. McCarthy might be the oldest head coach in Steelers history, but he’s far from ancient in mindset or ideas.

At the risk of beating a dead horse of a topic I’ve written about several times, previous S&C coach Phil Matusz wasn’t regarded well by players. He and the S&C staff earned terrible grades during their two years with the team, and ostensibly, he was the one who had quarterbacks pushing blocking sleds in 2024 as part of the team’s training camp conditioning test. That led to Russell Wilson injuring his calf, which sidelined him until midseason.

Matusz never spoke with Pittsburgh media, and we never heard his thoughts or philosophy. I won’t pretend to be an expert in the S&C field or act like Lovat’s comments are reinventing the wheel. Still, hearing him discuss a flexible approach while keeping core values is what every person in power and leadership should strive for. Putting players in the best position to succeed with a clear and individualized plan is vital. Pittsburgh didn’t seem to receive that under the old guard.

Like many of McCarthy’s hires, he and Lovat have history. Lovat served as Green Bay’s longtime assistant and then head strength & conditioning Coach under Mike McCarthy. After McCarthy was fired, Lovat remained on staff as an assistant before spending 2024 and 2025 in the same capacity with the Tennessee Titans.

There are even deeper connections than that. Mark’s father, Tom Lovat, served as Green Bay’s offensive line coach from 1992-1998. There, he coached current Steelers offensive line coach James Campen and helped take him from obscure former UDFA to multi-year starter. Mark Lovat and Campen, of course, shared a sideline in Green Bay, too.

Lovat’s probably had as much interaction with players as any coach thus far. The CBA restricts how much time coaches can spend with players, with early phases of the offseason program focusing on weight room and on-field activity with the S&C staff. They’ve been busy getting to know the players and devising plans that carry over from the summer break into training camp.

Like any coach, Lovat will be judged by the on-field product. If Pittsburgh’s roster turns into a MASH unit full of soft-tissue injuries, he’ll be blamed. Based on his resume and his interview with Varley, their entire conversation is worth your time. The Steelers have made a key upgrade.