PITTSBURGH — After 29 years as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers organization, assistant head coach John Mitchell announced his retirement Wednesday.
Mitchell, the longest-tenured member of the Steelers’ coaching staff, broke the color barrier at Alabama as a football player in the 1970s and was hired by coach Bill Cowher in 1994, serving as the team’s defensive line coach until Mike Tomlin took over in 2007. Tomlin promoted Mitchell to assistant head coach in addition to his duties as defensive line coach until 2018 when he became a full-time assistant head coach.
“I’m grateful to the Rooney family for the wonderful opportunity to coach and work for the Steelers for nearly 30 years,” Mitchell, 71, said in a release. “It was truly an honor. I’d also like to thank Coach Tomlin for giving me the opportunity to stay with the franchise when Coach Cowher retired. I will treasure my time in Pittsburgh and appreciate everyone affiliated with the organization.”
Mitchell, who coached in either college or professional football for the past 50 seasons, was the first African American football player at Alabama, starting 24 games at defensive line in 1971 and 1972 after transferring from Eastern Arizona Junior College.
While playing for Alabama, Mitchell helped the Crimson Tide to a 21-3 record and two SEC championships, earning All-SEC honors twice and an All-America nod in his final season. After his playing career, Mitchell coached the defensive line from 1973 to ’76 under Paul “Bear” Bryant.
“Coach Mitch has been a pivotal member of the Steelers organization, in a variety of roles, for the better part of 30 years,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement. “When you consider his path, as both a player and coach, Mitch created opportunities in football for young Black men that quite honestly didn’t previously exist. He has left an imprint on this franchise, and the sport and culture of football, that will continue well beyond his retirement.”
Mitchell was elected to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 and was given a plaque in 2022 that hangs on the wall outside Bryant-Denny Stadium.
“I’m not sure that I can offer sufficient praise and admiration for Mitch — as both a man and football coach,” coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement. “Mitch has been a central figure in the success of the Pittsburgh Steelers for nearly three decades. He has coached some of the best players in this franchise’s illustrious history, and each one of them, to a man, would tell you their success was a direct result of not only Mitch’s coaching acumen, but also his mentorship, leadership and character.
“Those traits were most evident when he chose to attend the University of Alabama. Mitch’s path not only changed his life, but the lives of so many others. It’s impossible to truly measure his impact on the game, but I’m eternally grateful for the 16 years we worked together and wish him and [his wife] Joyce the absolute best in retirement.”
