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.