The Steelers named Patrick Graham the team's defensive coordinator on Friday.
Graham spent the last four seasons as the Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator, his 17th year coaching in the NFL.
During his NFL coaching career, Graham has held a variety of defensive roles with the New England Patriots (2009-15), New York Giants (2016-17, 2020-21), Green Bay Packers (2018), Miami Dolphins (2019) and Raiders (2022-25). He has been a defensive coordinator each of the last seven years, including also holding the title of assistant head coach with the Giants from 2020-21.
Teams that Graham has been a part of have qualified for the playoffs eight times, with seven division titles, two conference championships and a win in Super Bowl XLIX with New England.
The Raiders defense ranked in the Top 15 in multiple categories under Graham's guidance over the last four years, with players like linebacker Robert Spillane and defensive end Maxx Crosby flourishing, with Crosby earning four of his five Pro Bowl selections under Graham's guidance (2022-25).
During the 2024 season, the Raiders' defense ranked in the Top 15 in total defense (333.1 yards/game), rush defense (116.9 yards/game) and pass defense (216.2 yards/game). A total of 18 different players recorded at least a half sack, the most in single-season Raiders' history.
Spillane had a career-high158 tackles in 2024, ranked third in the NFL, and set a Raiders single-season record. Crosby was selected to the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive year in 2024, with 45 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, seven and a half sacks and five passes defensed in just 12 games. The defensive line as a whole accounted for 20 passes defensed, which ranked second-most among defensive lines units in the NFL in 2024.
The Raiders' defense finished ninth in the NFL in scoring defense (19.5 points allowed/game) in 2023, a 17-place improvement from the 2022 season. The defense also went from 28th overall in the NFL in 2022, to 15th overall in 2023.
Prior to joining the Raiders, Graham was the assistant head coach/defensive coordinator for the New York Giants from 2020-21. During his time with the Giants the defense saw significant improvement, going from 20th in the NFL in rush defense before he arrived, to 10th in his first season. The pass defense was ranked 16th in the NFL in his first season, after being ranked 28th the year prior to his arrival.
In 2021, the Giants defense was tied for fourth in the NFL in passes defensed (83) and tied for 12th in interceptions. The defense also held teams to 225.8 passing yards per game, which ranked 15th in the NFL.
Graham's arrival in New York signified an improvement for the Giants defense in 2020, ranking ninth in scoring defense (21 points allowed per game), and 12th in total defense (349.3 yards allowed per game) after finishing 27th (377.3 yards a game) after finished 27th in 2019. It was their best defensive finish since 2016 when the Giants ranked 10th in the NFL.
Among those who found immediate success under Graham were inside linebacker Blake Martinez, Pro Bowl cornerback James Bradberry and safety Logan Ryan. Martinez led the Giants, and was ranked third in the NFL, with 151 tackles. Bradberry led the team with three interceptions and was tied for second in the NFL with 18 passes defensed. Ryan made a switch to safety and finished second on the team with 92 tackles.
Graham was the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins in 2019, his first stint as a defensive coordinator. He guided a unit that underwent a lot of change, especially in the secondary, including former first-round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick being traded to the Steelers on Sept. 17. The defense also lost key players to injuries throughout the season, including cornerback Xavien Howard and safeties Reshad Jones and Bobby McCain missing significant time on the Reserve/Injured List.
Graham worked with Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy with the Green Bay Packers in 2018 as the inside linebackers coach and defensive run game coordinator. The defense held opponents to 4.3 yards per rush, which ranked 13th in the NFL.
He had an initial stint with the Giants from 2016-17 as the team's defensive line coach. In 2017, outside linebacker Jason Pierre Paul led the team with eight and a half sacks, while defensive tackle Damon Harrison recorded 76 tackles, leading all NFL defensive tackles in that category.
In 2016, Graham had a significant role in the Giants defense becoming the most improved unit in the NFL. The defense allowed 158 fewer points and 1,290 fewer yards in 2016 than it did in 2015. In addition, the 17.8 points per game allowed was second in the NFL and the team's best since 2002.
Graham's coaching career began with the New England Patriots from 2009-15. He began as a coaching assistant (2009) and continued to evolve to defensive assistant (2010), linebackers coach (2011), defensive line coach (2012-13) and back to linebackers (2014-15).
The Patriots won the AFC East title all seven seasons Graham was there, in addition to the AFC Championship twice and Super Bowl XLIX.
Graham began his coaching career in the college ranks, as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame (2007-08), three years as an assistant coach at Richmond (2004-06) where he worked with the tight ends and defensive line, and as a graduate assistant at Wagner (2002-03).
He played college football at Yale, where he was a defensive lineman on the 1999 team that shared an Ivy League title with Brown.
Patrick Graham's Coaching History:
2026: Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Coordinator
2022-25: Las Vegas Raiders Defensive Coordinator
2020-21: New York Giants Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator
2019: Miami Dolphins Defensive Coordinator
2018: Green Bay Packers Inside Linebackers/Defensive Run Game Coordinator
2016-17: New York Giants Defensive Line Coach
2014-15: New England Patriots Linebackers Coach
2012-13: New England Patriots Defensive Line Coach
2011: New England Patriots Linebackers Coach
2010: New England Patriots Defensive Assistant
2009: New England Patriots Coaching Assistant
2007-08: Notre Dame Graduate Assistant
2005-06: Richmond Tight Ends
2004: Richmond Assistant Defensive Line
2002-03: Wagner College Graduate Assistant
