Steelers name Keith Butler defensive coordinator

Quote :

By Gerry Dulac / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Steelers today named linebackers coach Keith Butler as their new defensive coordinator, replacing Dick LeBeau.

Butler met Monday with Coach Mike Tomlin at the team’s South Side facility and finalized a three-year contract that moved him into the role handled by LeBeau for the past 11 seasons.

Butler, 58, has been the team’s linebackers coach since 2003 and has long been considered the heir apparent to LeBeau.

“It’s the dream of a lifetime,” Butler said. “There are only 32 of these jobs on this Earth. I am excited about the opportunity and I look forward to getting this process started immediately.”

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2015/01/13/Steelers-Butler-named-defensive-coordinator-LeBeau/stories/201501130161

Well, this is certainly no surprise. The question is who replaces Butler ... Olsavsky or Porter?

Well good, I hope he can learn to make in-game adjustments and bring the freaking pain when it needs to be brought.

I say Olsavsky gets the nod over Porter.

I'm hoping he can bring some new looks to this defensive unit and not just a regurgitated Lebeau 2.0. We need some fresh ideas and incorporating a hybrid 4-3 here and there would NOT be a bad thing.

Drizztbob wrote:

I'm hoping he can bring some new looks to this defensive unit and not just a regurgitated Lebeau 2.0.  We need some fresh ideas and incorporating a hybrid 4-3 here and there would NOT be a bad thing.

Everyone keeps insisting we're not going to see a big change in the defense (such as going 4-3). Obviously, I have no clue ... but I'm not as confident as almost everyone else that some kind of change isn't in the plans. It's more of a gut feeling than anything else.

I think some of the old guys will see less/no playing time. Butler's gotta know that there is a high expectation for him and some big shoes to fill. Question is: how long is the leash for this guy since he has been with the Steelers since 2003 (unlike Haley)

SteelersYak wrote:

I Question is:  how long is the leash for this guy since he has been with the Steelers since 2003 (unlike Haley)

That leash will be as long as his success. He has a somewhat tough job because that defense was playing better at the end of the season, so the expectation is it will be even better next year.

Wallace108 wrote:

Everyone keeps insisting we're not going to see a big change in the defense (such as going 4-3). Obviously, I have no clue ... but I'm not as confident as almost everyone else that some kind of change isn't in the plans. It's more of a gut feeling than anything else.

There were plenty of statements that indicated the Steelers defense played in the base 3-4 a minority of the time the past few years. Any time someone mentioned the need to draft a NT in the 1st round, the answer always came back to the stats around the base 3-4 not being the primary package it used to be. Here's a blurb from Butler on the subject (same article that Wally posted above, just a quote halfway down):

"I would consider myself a whatever-it-takes-to-win guy,” Butler said. “If it’s a 3-4, that’s fine, if that fits your players. I think you have to be able to fit your defense around the players you have. With what offenses are doing nowadays in the National Football League, they’re playing a lot of three wide receivers and a tight end and a running back, for the most part. In those situations, we’re going to be in kind of a 4-3 anyway, but we’re still going to be able to run the 3-4, also. It gives you a little bit more versatility, I think.

“I also think there’s still a place for the 3-4, and the reason I think there’s still a place for it is because you also have to be versatile as a defense as offenses are trying to be versatile. So, we don’t want to blow it up and say we won’t run the 3-4 anymore. We will run the 3-4, but we will run some 4-3 also in our sub-package."

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2015/01/13/Steelers-Butler-named-defensive-coordinator-LeBeau/stories/201501130161

Based on the quotes you just posted... I like the guy's attitude already.

Like Wally said, no surprise here.

Since we are most likely going to draft some D players this year and our vets are most likely not coming back, he is going to have a lot of raw talent to work with. I love LeBeau and it's going to be strange not seeing him on the sidelines, but maybe this was the right time to clean house.

I think it is going to be exciting to see what he does with the rookies and second year players, like Shazier, that didn't see a lot of time on the field.

I never thought I'd say a 58 yr old man would bring youth to our defense.

solardave wrote:

I never thought I'd say a 58 yr old man would bring youth to our defense.

solardave wrote:

I never thought I'd say a 58 yr old man would bring youth to our defense.

58 is the new 38

Gingerchip wrote:

solardave wrote:

I never thought I'd say a 58 yr old man would bring youth to our defense.

58 is the new 38

That makes me 39 and Smilin'.

solardave wrote:

Gingerchip wrote:

solardave wrote:

I never thought I'd say a 58 yr old man would bring youth to our defense.

58 is the new 38

That makes me 39 and Smilin'.

That means I'm going to be 24 this year! AWESOME-SAUCE.

Now to convince the wife we can party it up til the break of down on my b-day.

stlrtruck wrote:

Now to convince the wife we can party it up til the break of down on my b-day.

Partying at your age, "break down" is a distinct possibility.

Wallace108 wrote:

stlrtruck wrote:

Now to convince the wife we can party it up til the break of down on my b-day.

Partying at your age, "break down" is a distinct possibility.

I hate editors.

Wallace108 wrote:

stlrtruck wrote:

Now to convince the wife we can party it up til the break of down on my b-day.

Partying at your age, "break down" is a distinct possibility.

the Steelers twice only had 10 men on the field, once it was supposed to be Shark and the other time Cortez.

that's usually the responsibility of the defensive coordinator and/or the position coach to send players in and out and to ensure there are 11 players on the field.

FIRE LAKE!

FIRE BUTLER!!

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

the Steelers twice only had 10 men on the field, once it was supposed to be Shark and the other time Cortez.

that's usually the responsibility of the defensive coordinator and/or the position coach to send players in and out and to ensure there are 11 players on the field.

FIRE LAKE!

FIRE BUTLER!!

the position Coach being upstairs and calling those changes in over the headsets. People keep acting like the headsets going out werent an issue.

You can't use hand signals from up in the booth.

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

the Steelers twice only had 10 men on the field, once it was supposed to be Shark and the other time Cortez.

that's usually the responsibility of the defensive coordinator and/or the position coach to send players in and out and to ensure there are 11 players on the field.

FIRE LAKE!

FIRE BUTLER!!

I'm not usually a "fire someone guy" but you may be on to something with Lake. Yes he was a great player but I haven't seen anything to make me think he is even a good coach.

Dick LeBeau had a nice start in Tennessee. His defense didn't make Jameis Winston or Tom Brady "look like the next Joe Montana.".

tony hipchest wrote:

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

the Steelers twice only had 10 men on the field, once it was supposed to be Shark and the other time Cortez.

that's usually the responsibility of the defensive coordinator and/or the position coach to send players in and out and to ensure there are 11 players on the field.

FIRE LAKE!

FIRE BUTLER!!

the position Coach being upstairs and calling those changes in over the headsets. People keep acting like the headsets going out werent an issue.

You can't use hand signals from up in the booth.

bud adams says you're wrong

tony hipchest wrote:

Dick LeBeau had a nice start in Tennessee. His defense didn't make Jameis Winston or Tom Brady "look like the next Joe Montana.".

LeBeau is not the Titans' DC, he's only an "advisor"...

tony hipchest wrote:

Dick LeBeau had a nice start in Tennessee. His defense didn't make Jameis Winston or Tom Brady "look like the next Joe Montana.".

Also, Winston is hot garbage.

Keith Butler Admits He Needed To Be More Aggressive

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2016/01/keith-butler-admits-he-needed-to-be-more-aggressive/