The Steelers named Gerald Alexander the team's defensive backs coach.
Alexander is no stranger to the Steelers coaching staff, having spent two seasons (2022-23) as the assistant defensive backs coach with the team, before leaving to become the safeties coach for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024.
In two years in Pittsburgh he worked with a secondary that recorded 36 interceptions, which was tied for second in the league. In 2023, the defense held opponents to a 84.7 passer rating, whcih was 10th best in the NFL.
In Alexander's first year with the Steelers, he worked with a secondary that was tied for first in the NFL in interceptions with 20 in 2022. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick finished that season with a career-high and NFL leading six interceptions while earning first team Associated Press All-Pro honors.
Prior to his first stint with the Steelers, Alexander was the defensive backs coach for the Miami Dolphins for two seasons (2020-21). Under his leadership, the defensive backs tied for first in the NFL in interceptions with 18 in 2020, while cornerback Xavien Howard had 10 interceptions and was selected first team Associated Press All-Pro for the first time.
Alexander broke into the coaching ranks on the college level as an undergraduate assistant at Arkansas State in 2013 and then a graduate assistant at Washington in 2014. He also spent time as a defensive backs coach at Indiana State (2015), Montana State (2016) and California (2017-19). During his time coaching in college, he held NFL two minority coaching internships, with the Tennessee Titans in 2015 and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2016.
During his time at Cal, Alexander worked with All-Pac-12 defensive backs Ashtyn Davis and Camryn Bynum. Davis went from a walk-on to a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the New York Jets while Bynum was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. Cal also led the Pac-12 in and ranked second nation-wide with 21 interceptions in 2018.
Alexander also spent five years playing in the NFL after he was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He spent time with the Lions (2007-08), Jacksonville Jaguars (2009-10), Carolina Panthers (2010), Miami Dolphins (2011) and New York Jets (2011). He appeared in 44 games, starting 30, and finished with 154 tackles, 116 of them solo stops, 14 passes defensed, four interceptions, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two sacks.
Alexander, who is from Los Angeles, played college football at Boise State.
