Teryl Austin

{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1965)}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Teryl Austin

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

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| current_team = Pittsburgh Steelers

| position = Defensive coordinator

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|3|3|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Sharon, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| high_school = Sharon (PA)

| college = Pittsburgh

| pastteams =

Montreal Machine (1991)

| pastcoaching =

Penn State (1991–1992)
Graduate assistant
Wake Forest (1993–1995)
Defensive backs coach
Syracuse (1996–1998)
Defensive assistant
Michigan (1999–2002)
Defensive assistant
Seattle Seahawks ({{nfly|2003}}–{{nfly|2006}})
Defensive backs coach
Arizona Cardinals ({{nfly|2007}}–{{nfly|2009}})
Defensive backs coach
Florida (2010)
Defensive coordinator
Baltimore Ravens ({{nfly|2011}}–{{nfly|2013}})
Secondary coach
Detroit Lions ({{nfly|2014}}–{{nfly|2017}})
Defensive coordinator
Cincinnati Bengals ({{nfly|2018}})
Defensive coordinator
Pittsburgh Steelers ({{nfly|2019}}–{{nfly|2021}})
Senior defensive assistant & secondary coach
Pittsburgh Steelers ({{nfly|2022}}–present)
Defensive coordinator

|highlights=

Super Bowl champion (XLVII)

| regular_record =

| playoff_record =

| overall_record =

| pfrcoach = AustTe0

}}

Teryl Austin (born March 3, 1965) is an American professional football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2017 and the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018.

Early life

Austin was born in Sharon, Pennsylvania. He played college football at the University of Pittsburgh from 1984 to 1987, where he was a four-year letterman and three-year starter. He played in the 1987 Bluebonnet Bowl. Austin played one season with the Montreal Machine of the World League of American Football in 1991.

Coaching career

Austin then began a career in coaching, landing a position as a graduate assistant at Penn State in 1991. In 1993, he accompanied fellow Penn State assistant Jim Caldwell to Wake Forest where he served as secondary coach."[http://gopsusports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/012009aab.html Nittany Lions Well-Represented on Super Bowl XLIII Teams] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226023000/http://gopsusports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/012009aab.html |date=February 26, 2009 }}," Penn State Department of Sports Information (January 21, 2009). Retrieved February 11, 2010. Austin went on to serve on the coaching staffs at Syracuse and Michigan before joining the Seattle Seahawks' staff in 2003, helping Seattle advance to Super Bowl XL in 2006.

He joined the Arizona Cardinals coaching staff as coach of defensive backs in 2007. In 2009, he helped the team reach Super Bowl XLIII, where the Cardinals would lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl.

On February 12, 2010, it was announced that Austin had been hired as the defensive coordinator for the Florida Gators.Robbie Andreu, "[http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20100212/ARTICLES/100219826/1136?Title=UF-makes-Austin-hire-officia UF makes Austin hire official] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924022836/http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20100212/ARTICLES/100219826/1136?Title=UF-makes-Austin-hire-officia |date=September 24, 2015 }}," Gainesville Sun (February 12, 2010). Retrieved February 12, 2010. His tenure as defensive coordinator ended following the Gators' 37–24 victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions in the 2011 Outback Bowl, and head coach Urban Meyer's resignation in December 2010.

On January 26, 2011, it was announced that Austin had been hired as the secondary coach for the Baltimore Ravens, and helped lead them to a Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers.{{Cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201302030sfo.htm |title=Super Bowl XLVII – San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens – February 3rd, 2013 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en |access-date=November 8, 2017}}

On January 16, 2014, it was announced that Austin had been hired as the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions.{{cite web |url = http://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-insider/article-1/Lions-hire-Teryl-Austin-to-run-their-defense/2f84d706-4147-4cbb-8017-fc563068496d |title = Lions hire Teryl Austin to run their defense |work= detroitlions.com |first = Tim |last = Twentyman |date = January 17, 2014 |access-date = January 8, 2018}} With Austin calling the defensive signals, the Lions finished second in the NFL in points against and total yards against, leading the franchise to an 11–5 record and wild card playoff berth. Following the end of the Lions season, Austin interviewed the Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, and San Francisco 49ers for vacant head coaching jobs.{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Luke |date=December 30, 2014 |title=2015 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker |url=https://www.profootballrumors.com/2014/12/2015-nfl-head-coaching-search-tracker |access-date=November 1, 2020 |website=Pro Football Rumors}} Austin was scheduled to interview with the Denver Broncos but withdrew from consideration.{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Luke |date=January 16, 2015 |title=Kubiak In, Austin Out For Broncos' HC Search |url=https://www.profootballrumors.com/2015/01/kubiak-austin-broncos-hc-search |access-date=November 1, 2020 |website=Pro Football Rumors}} In the 2015 NFL season, the Lions record fell to 7–9 and the defense dropped to 18th in total yards against and 23 in total points against.{{cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2015/opp.htm |title=2015 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics |work=Pro Football Reference |access-date=November 2, 2020}} Despite this, Austin was still considered a top head coaching candidate and interviewed with the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans.{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Luke |date=January 4, 2016 |title=2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker |url=https://www.profootballrumors.com/2016/01/2016-nfl-head-coaching-search-tracker |website=November 2, 2020}} Austin later said that he felt of the jobs he interviewed for following the 2015 season, that he felt that only two were "...like a legitimate job interview. Like I had a legitimate shot at the job." When asked if he felt the other interviews were just to satisfy the NFL's "Rooney Rule," he did not disagree with the statement.{{Cite web |last=Rothstein |first=Michael |date=June 2, 2016 |title=Teryl Austin: Two of four head coach interviews were 'legitimate' |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/detroit-lions/post/_/id/23816/teryl-austin-two-of-four-head-coach-interviews-in-offseason-were-legitimate |access-date=November 5, 2020 |website=ESPN}} Following the 2016 NFL season, Austin interviewed with the Los Angeles Rams and San Diego Chargers.{{Cite web |last=Links |first=Zach |date=January 2, 2017 |title=2017 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker |url=https://www.profootballrumors.com/2017/01/2017-nfl-head-coaching-search-tracker |access-date=November 5, 2020 |website=Pro Football Rumors}}

After missing the 2017 NFL playoffs{{Cite web |last=Birkett |first=Dave |date=December 24, 2017 |title=Bengals 26, Lions 17: Playoff hopes shot, time for Jim Caldwell to go |url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2017/12/24/detroit-lions-cincinnati-bengals/979900001/ |access-date=November 5, 2020 |website=Detroit Free Press}} the Lions fired head coach Jim Caldwell.{{Cite web |last=Birkett |first=Dave |date=January 1, 2018 |title=Jim Caldwell fired after 4 seasons as Detroit Lions coach |url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/01/01/detroit-lions-jim-caldwell-fired/992291001/ |access-date=November 5, 2020 |website=Detroit Free Press}} Following Caldwell's dismissal, Austin interviewed with the Lions for the vacant head coaching position.{{Cite web |last=Birkett |first=Dave |date=January 2, 2018 |title=Detroit Lions interview DC Teryl Austin for head coach |url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/01/02/detroit-lions-interview-dc-teryl-austin-head-coach/996736001/ |access-date=November 5, 2020 |website=Detroit Free Press}}

On January 11, 2018, it was announced that Austin had been hired as the defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals.{{cite web |url = https://www.nfl.com/news/bengals-hire-teryl-austin-as-defensive-coordinator-0ap3000000904178 |title = Bengals hire Teryl Austin as defensive coordinator |work= NFL.com |first = Jeremy |last = Bergman |date = January 8, 2018 |access-date = January 8, 2018}} On November 12, 2018, Teryl Austin was relieved of his duties as defensive coordinator after the Bengals defense became the first in NFL history to give up 500+ yards in 3 straight games, against the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and New Orleans Saints, respectively.

On January 8, 2019, it was announced that Austin had been hired as the Senior Defensive Assistant/Secondary for the Pittsburgh Steelers.{{Cite web |last=Dulac |first=Gerry |date=January 11, 2019 |title=Steelers hire Teryl Austin, but could their next linebackers coach be a familiar name? |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2019/01/11/steelers-linebackers-coach-joey-porter-fired/stories/201901110131#:~:text=The%20Steelers%20have%20hired%20Sharon,fired%20by%20the%20Cincinnati%20Bengals. |access-date=November 5, 2020 |website=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}} On February 9, 2022 he was promoted as the defensive coordinator for the Steelers after the retirement of Keith Butler.{{Cite web |last=Varley |first=Teresa |date=2022-02-09 |title=Austin named defensive coordinator |url=https://www.steelers.com/news/austin-named-defensive-coordinator |access-date=2022-02-09 |website=Steelers.com |language=en-US}}