Steelers poised to name Keith Butler new defensive coordinator

[Lady Steel]

The Steelers are close to naming linebackers coach Keith Butler to replace Dick LeBeau as defensive coordinator, a move that could be announced Tuesday.

Butler met Monday with Coach Mike Tomlin at the team’s South Side facility and is in the process of finalizing a three-year contract that would move him into the role handled by LeBeau for the past 11 seasons.



http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/s...s/201501120194

[Steelman]

Good luck, Keith.

[Lady Steel]

Good luck, Keith.

He's gonna need it. Steelers Nation doesn't put up with any shit.

[tube517]

He's gonna need it. Steelers Nation doesn't put up with any shit.

Fire Butler! Get it started now.

[Dwinsgames]

sorry If I lack enthusiasm , but I still HATE Lebeau not being here ...

where ever he goes instantly becomes my second favorite team

[Shoes]

I hope Butler works out. It will be interesting to see how this turns out…..* Tomlin is expected to have more input with the defense next season and it’s possible he wanted to have a fresh approach with a new coordinator.*

[Dwinsgames]

LeBeau, 77, was told Saturday he would not be given a new contract and he and the Steelers agreed to say he was resigning

you can call it anything you like I suppose , but at the end of the day when your contract is up and the team is not offering you a new one ... You have been fired ...

[Lady Steel]

sorry If I lack enthusiasm , but I still HATE Lebeau not being here ...

where ever he goes instantly becomes my second favorite team

Mine, too. I'm still not done mourning and am still sad. I adored Coach LeBeau. I knew there was the possibility he would no longer be with us, but it still seems so surreal.

[Dwinsgames]

well lets pray it isnt Dallas

[st33lersguy]

I like what Butler did with the linebackers so I don't have a real problem with it. As long as he doesn't run the prevent. Let's see what he can do

[Devilsdancefloor]

As much as a morn the loss of coach dad it was time this Defense was shitting the bed on a regular basis. You can argue personnel, but you can not tell me he has no say in D Players that are drafted.

[MrPgh]

As much as a morn the loss of coach dad it was time this Defense was shitting the bed on a regular basis. You can argue personnel, but you can not tell me he has no say in D Players that are drafted.

Yeah, I have a hard time imagining LeBeau saying to Colbert and Tomlin "Hey guys, this defense really needs some CBs" with Colbert and Tomlin replying "Fuck you old fart! You'll get more linebackers and like it!"

One thing that must change is that the defense needs to become simpler. This whole thing where it takes players 2-3 years to learn the defense just doesn't fly anymore. If Butler (assuming he gets the job) doesn't change that, then there was no point in letting LeBeau go.

[fansince'76]

One thing that must change is that the defense needs to become simpler. This whole thing where it takes players 2-3 years to learn the defense just doesn't fly anymore. If Butler (assuming he gets the job) doesn't change that, then there was no point in letting LeBeau go.

That's always been my main criticism of his defense as well. It shouldn't take a doctorate to "get it."

[Psycho Ward 86]

Yeah, I have a hard time imagining LeBeau saying to Colbert and Tomlin "Hey guys, this defense really needs some CBs" with Colbert and Tomlin replying "Fuck you old fart! You'll get more linebackers and like it!"

One thing that must change is that the defense needs to become simpler. This whole thing where it takes players 2-3 years to learn the defense just doesn't fly anymore. If Butler (assuming he gets the job) doesn't change that, then there was no point in letting LeBeau go.

this is ultimately the biggest thing im hoping for, especially with so many young defensive players, and so that we can replenish this secondary quickly for next season.

[Steeldude]

Butler has his work cut out for him. There isn't much talent on defense. The good talent has grown old.

[stillers4me]

Mine, too. I'm still not done mourning and am still sad. I adored Coach LeBeau. I knew there was the possibility he would no longer be with us, but it still seems so surreal.

I'm with you, Kate. He has always been and always will be my favorite Steelers coach. And that's setting the bar pretty high.

A new era begins. Here We go, ready or not! I fear the D is going to struggle still this next year as we search for our new identity. I hope not having coach Dad there does not lower the moral in the locker room and they can get behind Butler as their new coach. I have no idea how he is regarded by the players.

[Steelerette]

Butler's contract was up for renewal. I wonder if there had been any kind of "It's time, or I walk" type ultimatum from him that had any effect on the situation. I already had a dislike for Tomlin and the way he has the team prepared for games, I can forgive him while we're winning but if it turns out he scapegoated LeBeau to save his own ass (Tomlin's a "defensive guy" too...) then I'll really hate him.

Now for the replacement. Loved LeBeau even if I did get frustrated sometimes. So if we really have to change, here's what I want:

-No more big cushions
-No more prevent, especially in the first half
-Doesn't take three years to know how to play.
-3rd and long conversions stop being a foregone conclusion

Remember when one of the biggest complaints about Cowher was that the team was a clubhouse, with vets playing years longer than they should at the expense of young guys? These days we don't even have the "younger guys" that vets are playing at the expense of. And you have to blame Colbert and Tomlin for that more than you could reasonably blame the defensive coaches (especially since, wait, isn't Tomlin a "defensive guy"?) but let's hope Butler is vocal about getting what he wants.

[vader29]

[Psycho Ward 86]

Congratulations Keith. Hopefully you will continue the tradition.

[X-Terminator]

The more I think about this, the more I'm thinking this was the plan all along. The team had promised him that he would eventually succeed LeBeau, and reiterated that promise to keep him from leaving Pittsburgh for a DC job elsewhere. So they are making good on that promise to him. I don't think it would have looked good on the team nor been fair to Butler to promise him the job and then keep LeBeau indefinitely. Butler would have then had every right to be upset with the team for breaking their promise, and in turn costing him both money and an opportunity to advance his career sooner.

[Dwinsgames]

http://

well................ we all know now he is human and LIES

[zulater]

What's done is done. Hope he does a good job. Who knows? Maybe some fresh blood wont be a bad thing.

[Psycho Ward 86]

http://

well................ we all know now he is human and LIES

Lets be honest here.

If Butler's defense starts sucking immediately, you will be first in line talking shit about him and lamenting over how much better Lebeau would have done. If Butler's defense starts kicking ass immediately, you will be first in line to say something along the lines of 'Lebeau would have done it better' or 'he did it with Lebeau's defense.' You're giving him less than a 0% chance to get his respect. And there are so many others out there like that.

How about we at least give him a chance to you know, actually piss us off with his body of work? I'm neither happy or sad about his promotion, but at the very least intrigued. The guy has been lights out as a position coach and has to have a great deal of potential for us to have worked this hard to keep him waiting in the wings.

[Shoes]

Wishing Butler all the best. I hope he can simplify the defense, it shouldn't take 3-4 years for a guy to learn this system. It will be interesting.


News/views: Butler right man, right time
http://dkonpittsburghsports.com/?p=8554

[Steelerette]

http://

well................ we all know now he is human and LIES

Well, you're pissed and maybe rightly so - the FO certainly handled everything rather poorly. But unless we had an ultimatum situation "It's time or I walk" - I doubt Butler really had any part of the decision, so I don't know about calling him out for a big ol' lie just yet.

[Dwinsgames]

Lets be honest here.

If Butler's defense starts sucking immediately, you will be first in line talking shit about him and lamenting over how much better Lebeau would have done. If Butler's defense starts kicking ass immediately, you will be first in line to say something along the lines of 'Lebeau would have done it better' or 'he did it with Lebeau's defense.' You're giving him less than a 0% chance to get his respect. And there are so many others out there like that.

How about we at least give him a chance to you know, actually piss us off with his body of work? I'm neither happy or sad about his promotion, but at the very least intrigued. The guy has been lights out as a position coach and has to have a great deal of potential for us to have worked this hard to keep him waiting in the wings.

I am being honest .. I do not like it , ( and don't have to )

I will be the first ( or one of the first ) to call him out .. you are right

I will NOT condemn him if he does well and will line up for a nice big steaming hot serving of crow .... but I do not believe that will actually happen , Def coord has to make the play calls in quick order , ( not questioning his intelligence ) but he is a slow less than deliberate speaker , if he calls plays in that manner we are doomed ( and consequently so is he )

[polamalubeast]

If the defense is average in 2015, I hope you will not be too harsh on Butler....The defense was one of the worst in the NFL in points per drive in 2014 and the defense lack of talent right now

If the defense is average next year, it will be an improvement!

[Psycho Ward 86]

I am being honest .. I do not like it , ( and don't have to )

I will be the first ( or one of the first ) to call him out .. you are right

I will NOT condemn him if he does well and will line up for a nice big steaming hot serving of crow .... but I do not believe that will actually happen , Def coord has to make the play calls in quick order , ( not questioning his intelligence ) but he is a slow less than deliberate speaker , if he calls plays in that manner we are doomed ( and consequently so is he )

see, this is exactly the kind of thing im talking about. you're not even giving him a deliberate reason to piss you off, you're premeditating those before he's even shown up to work. you don't even know what kind of speaker he is in true game action. you only know what kind of speaker he is at press conferences.

lebeau's pseudo resignation/firing is in the past. best we can do now as fans is support who we have and hope they do the best.

i cant wait to watch the masses crucify butler after his first bad defensive game. hell hath no fury like a steeler fan scorned

[Dwinsgames]

see, this is exactly the kind of thing im talking about. you're not even giving him a deliberate reason to piss you off, you're premeditating those before he's even shown up to work. you don't even know what kind of speaker he is in true game action. you only know what kind of speaker he is at press conferences.

lebeau's pseudo resignation/firing is in the past. best we can do now as fans is support who we have and hope they do the best.

i cant wait to watch the masses crucify butler after his first bad defensive game. hell hath no fury like a steeler fan scorned

I am under no obligation to " support him" any more than 90% of this board is under that same obligation to give Dri Archer a chance when he isnt playing against a stacked deck ...

by the way I will be waiting at that line too , serving the crow

[86WARD]

What's done is done. Hope he does a good job. Who knows? Maybe some fresh blood wont be a bad thing.

Is it really "fresh blood?" I'll support the move because it's "my team" but I'm not that happy about it...feel like it's just going to be the "same old shit"...