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Steelers hire Teryl Austin as assistant on defense

Florida Spring Game

GAINESVILLE, FL - APRIL 10: Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin of the Florida Gators during the Orange & Blue game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on April 10, 2010 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)

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Teryl Austin is getting a second chance in the AFC North.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Steelers are hiring Teryl Austin as a “senior defensive assistant with a focus on the secondary.

Austin was fired by the Bengals in midseason, a bad first impression in his first year with the team. The Bengals were on pace to break a league record for yards allowed in a season when Marvin Lewis decided to make the change.

Prior to the Bengals, Austin spent four years as the Lions defensive coordinator.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin suggested changes were coming, including the possibility of adding numbers to his staff. Bringing Austin in with a non-standard tile seems to check both boxes.