Coaches

James Daniel is in his eighth season with Pittsburgh after remaining with the team following Mike Tomlin’s hiring in January, 2007.

Named the Steelers’ tight ends coach Jan. 24, 2004, Daniel, 57, spent the previous seven seasons (1997-2003) with the Atlanta Falcons, primarily as the Falcons’ tight ends coach except for one year (2000) when he coached the offensive line.

Under Daniel’s guidance, Heath Miller has become one of the top tight ends in franchise history. Miller has caught 35 postseason passes for 437 yards (12.5 avg.) with four touchdowns, all team postseason records for a tight end. With a total of 29 career touchdowns, Miller is second on the team’s all-time list for touchdowns by a tight end.

In 2010, Miller moved into second place on the Steelers’ all-time receiving yardage list for tight ends with 3,233 career receiving yards. Miller broke the team’s single-season record for receptions for a tight end in 2009, catching 68 passes. Miller also posted his second career 100-yard receiving game, marking just the 11th 100-yard receiving game by a tight end in team history. Miller was named an offensive co-captain for the first time in his career in 2010, following his 2009 Pro-Bowl season.

In 2007, Daniel groomed a young group of tight ends that finished the season with 11 TDs, which is the most combined TDs of any Steelers’ tight end corps.

During his tenure at Atlanta, Daniel was instrumental in the development of Pro Bowl tight end Alge Crumpler, who set a team receptions mark for tight ends in 2002 and 2003 with 44 and 36, respectively. Daniel began his NFL coaching career as the tight ends coach of the New York Giants from 1993-96. However, Daniel’s first experience at the pro level occurred through the NFL’s Fellowship Program in 1988 with the New Orleans Saints and in 1992 with the Denver Broncos and Head Coach Dan Reeves. He served under Reeves for his first 11 years in the NFL.

Daniel began his coaching career in the college ranks as the offensive line coach at Auburn (1981-92) for Head Coach Pat Dye. During Daniel’s 12 years at Auburn, the Tigers appeared in nine postseason bowl games, four of his linemen earned All-America honors and several were selected All- Southeastern Conference.

Prior to Auburn, Daniel coached for seven years at Enterprise (Ala.) High School from 1974-80, during which 11 of his offensive linemen earned college scholarships.

As a collegian, Daniel was a three-year starter and four-year letter winner at Alabama State from 1970-73.

Daniel is married (Myrtis) with no children.