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Patrick Graham: From Yale to the Steelers
“He’s not the Messiah. He’s a very naughty boy!”
If you can complete this sentence before you reach the halfway point, you are more than likely over a certain age. If you can’t, I suggest you stop what you’re doing and go and watch Monty Python’s Life of Brian — and then come back to finish reading!
Graham Chapman’s Brian was not exactly a saviour. Is it possible that the Steelers’ own Graham — Patrick — is capable of performing miracles?
Having barely dipped his toes in the Allegheny, the new defensive coordinator is already working under a black-and-gold question mark. Has his journey prepared him for this?
From Yale to the Coaching Profession
An Ivy League education was the plan Patrick Graham had set himself from his first day of high school in Waterbury, Connecticut, when he walked into his guidance counsellor’s office and announced that he was headed to Yale or Duke.
He arrived at Yale as a 175 lb athlete known more for effort than talent. He had played tight end in high school, but at Yale he moved to the defensive line, adding weight and strength simply to get onto the field — in a role limited enough that he later joked he “practised” rather than played football.
He intended to major in chemical engineering but abandoned it when the coursework proved more punishing than useful, switching instead to sociology with a focus on economics and African American studies — training in reading people and group dynamics that he wouldn’t fully appreciate until years into his coaching career.
Coaching was never the plan — it was Duane Brooks’s idea.
Brooks had coached Graham on the defensive line at Yale, and the two stayed close after graduation. Graham would call him regularly to complain about the directionless nature of his post-college life. Brooks’s answer was always the same — “Time to coach” — needling him as a “super nerd” whose talents were being wasted outside football. Graham kept refusing, holding out for the CIA or Wall Street, until Brooks found the one pitch that actually worked: a free MBA.
“Do you want to get your MBA for free?” Brooks asked him, as Graham recalled to ESPN in 2015. “I told him I did, and he said, ‘Well, you have to coach football to do it.’”
So, in 2002, Graham took a graduate assistant job at Wagner College in New York, telling himself it was purely transactional and nothing more. He never finished the degree.
Deep into his first season on the staff, a Wagner defensive lineman missed an assignment and made an excuse for it — something Graham himself had a habit of doing — and Graham erupted in exactly the way Brooks once had at him. In that moment, he understood what his old coach had been doing all along and why it worked. He called Brooks to tell him. They shared the longest laugh, and Graham never seriously looked towards Wall Street again.
Richmond, Notre Dame and Charlie Weis
In March 2004, Dave Clawson had just taken over at Richmond and was assembling his inaugural staff. He announced five hires at once, and Graham — fresh from two years as a Wagner graduate assistant — was brought in as assistant defensive line coach.
He spent his first season with the defensive line before Clawson moved him to tight ends for 2005–06, adding a stint helping to run the kick-return unit along the way. That gave him the chance to experience coaching offence for the first time, something he would later credit with helping to sharpen his defensive mind.
Graham made the jump to major college football in 2007, joining Charlie Weis’s staff at Notre Dame as a defensive graduate assistant. The specifics of how that opportunity came about aren’t clear. Shane Waldron might have been involved; he and Graham later spent 2009 together on the Patriots’ coaching staff. Whatever the route, it placed Graham inside a major programme for the first time, working under a head coach with deep ties to the Patriots’ coaching tree.
If any single assignment helped shape Graham’s early career, it was the one with Weis at Notre Dame. On his very first day, Weis welcomed him by asking, in front of the whole staff, what was wrong with him: why wasn’t a Yale man on Wall Street instead of grinding through football hours?
Weis gave Graham something more valuable than a paycheque: exposure to higher-level defensive and offensive thinking from a coach who had built his reputation as an offensive mind, first as an NFL offensive coordinator and then as a head coach. Graham would later credit Weis with enhancing his ability to unravel offences as a defensive coordinator.
But the real inheritance was Weis’s own history. Before Notre Dame, Weis had spent five seasons as Bill Belichick’s offensive coordinator in New England, winning three Super Bowls.
Seven Seasons Under Bill Belichick
Graham had a brief, one-month stint as Toledo’s defensive line coach that ended in February 2009 with a phone call.
The moment Bill Belichick pulled Graham into the Patriots’ orbit, he knew his career was about to be redefined — although it almost didn’t happen. When a call came in from an unfamiliar New England area code, Graham was convinced it was a wind-up. He hung up on the man introducing himself as Bill Belichick. Luckily, he called back, just in case, and Belichick offered him the lowest rung on the coaching ladder: coaching assistant.
Over the following seven seasons in New England, Graham moved through nearly every job on the defensive staff: defensive assistant in 2010, linebackers coach in 2011, defensive line coach in 2012–13, and back to linebackers for 2014–15. All the while, he soaked up Belichick’s guiding principle that a scheme should be shaped around what the players already do well, rather than forcing personnel into a fixed system.
Also in the building was a cluster of future NFL head coaches serving their apprenticeships: Brian Flores, Matt Patricia, Josh McDaniels and Joe Judge. It all culminated in winning Super Bowl XLIX, beating Seattle 28–24 in February 2015 and handing Graham his first championship ring.
Graham recalls that his most tedious task was “padding”: breaking down every play the next opponent had run and drawing out formations, splits and tendencies by hand. It was a job that could take seven hours on a good day or stretch well into the following morning on a bad one.
It was tedious, but it trained his eye. Graham later said the habit of processing a full formation at a glance, rather than rewinding tape repeatedly, became the foundation of how he reads offences as a play-caller today.
In December 2022, before a game against the Raiders, Belichick said in an interview: “A well-put-together scheme with Coach Graham. Don’t give up many big plays, one of the best in the league at that.” That is gushing by his standards.
New York, Green Bay and the First McCarthy Connection
For the 2016 season, Graham joined the New York Giants as defensive line coach. I couldn’t find a previous Graham connection to Ben McAdoo, the head coach, or Steve Spagnuolo, the defensive coordinator. It appears that Graham was hired on the strength of his reputation and the interview process — although working under Belichick and having won a Super Bowl surely helped.
McAdoo had worked with Mike McCarthy in New Orleans in 2004 and San Francisco in 2005, before serving as the Packers’ tight ends coach and later quarterbacks coach under McCarthy from 2006–13. McAdoo replaced legendary coach Tom Coughlin, who had held the post for 12 seasons and won two Super Bowls with the team. That included Super Bowl XLVI at the end of the 2011 season, when the Giants beat a Patriots team with Graham and Flores on its staff.
Under the new regime, the Giants finished the 2016 season allowing the second-fewest points in the NFL at 17.8 per game. Their run defence went from 24th in 2015 to tied for third under Graham’s coaching in 2016. They made the playoffs with an 11–5 record but were knocked out by Mike McCarthy’s Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round.
The Giants lost to the Packers twice at Lambeau Field that season. I do wonder whether that was when McCarthy first started taking notice of Graham’s abilities.
The 2017 season was a different story. The dreadful start was part of it, but the flashpoint was the benching of Eli Manning in Week 13 and the way it was handled. McAdoo pulled Manning, who had started 210 consecutive regular-season games — an NFL ironman streak — and chose backup Geno Smith instead, framing it as an opportunity to evaluate other players rather than a purely performance-based decision.
The fallout was fast and ugly. The decision, and particularly the way it was communicated, provoked fury among fans and former players. By then, McAdoo’s relationship with the locker room had reportedly deteriorated, while frustration was growing over his inability to work around the team’s many injuries and suspensions.
McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese were fired on 4 December 2017, the day after Smith started against the Raiders, ending McAdoo’s tenure at 13–15 over 28 regular-season games.
More than 1,000 miles away in Wisconsin, McAdoo’s previous employers had endured a 2017 season to forget. After a 7–9 campaign — their first missed playoffs in nine years and one heavily affected by Aaron Rodgers’s broken collarbone — the Packers went through a full staff overhaul.
McCarthy and team president Mark Murphy, with general manager Ted Thompson stepping aside, cleaned house on the defensive side. Long-time coordinator Dom Capers was fired and replaced by Mike Pettine, who had been out of coaching for two years after previously serving as the Bills’ defensive coordinator and the Browns’ head coach from 2014–15.
Graham was part of that rebuild. He became a Cheesehead in January 2018 as defensive run-game coordinator and inside linebackers coach. Unfortunately, his first partnership with McCarthy was short-lived. Another losing season, this time 6–9–1, brought change after 13 years and one Super Bowl. From the cull, the defensive survivors included coordinator Mike Pettine and secondary coach Jason Simmons. Graham got his marching orders but did not spend long in his local Jobcentre.
Becoming a Defensive Coordinator in Miami
On 4 February 2019, Brian Flores was appointed Miami Dolphins head coach, and one of the first phone calls he made was to his old Patriots colleague.
I’d like to imagine he opened with: “Hey matey, did you know there’s no state income tax in Florida? Fancy a bit of sunshine?” More likely, though, it was something closer to: “As a first-time head coach, I need a defensive coordinator I can trust — and that, my friend, is you.” Followed by some complaining about their old boss in the cut-up sweatshirt.
Flores was the first head coach to give Graham an opportunity as a defensive coordinator.
Sunshine apart, Graham inherited a defence in the midst of a rebuild. Miami had already shipped out key piece Robert Quinn, while Minkah Fitzpatrick was traded to the Steelers after playing the first two games of the season. By the end of the year, the Dolphins ranked 30th in yards allowed and 32nd in points allowed.
Graham left after one season. The reported explanation was that Joe Judge, another former Patriots colleague, wanted a familiar face to run the Giants’ defence and offered Graham the additional title of assistant head coach.
There is no indication that the following had anything to do with Graham’s move back to the Giants, but I can’t help wondering about what he witnessed in Miami.
In 2022, Flores was fired after three seasons. Owner Stephen Ross’s public explanation was vague: “Key dynamics of our football organization weren’t functioning at a level I want it to be.” There were also reports of friction between Flores and general manager Chris Grier.
The story then became much bigger. Weeks after his firing, Flores sued the NFL and several teams, alleging racial discrimination in the league’s hiring practices. His most explosive claim was that Ross had offered him $100,000 for every game the Dolphins lost during his first season as head coach in 2019 — the same season Graham was his defensive coordinator — to help Miami secure a higher draft pick in what became known as “Tank for Tua”. Ross denied the allegation.
Flores said that after refusing to participate, he was increasingly viewed as angry and difficult to work with and was ultimately pushed out. The discrimination case remains ongoing as of August 2026, after the US Supreme Court allowed the claims to proceed in open court. Suggestions that the legal action has prevented Flores from becoming a head coach again remain speculation.
Back to the New York Giants
The 2020 season marked a new era for the Giants. Alongside a substantially rebuilt coaching staff, it was their first season without Eli Manning since he was drafted in 2004 — a story in its own right.
Graham returned as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach, a key part of Judge’s rebuild. You would think he was involved in choosing his assistants, although there is some indication that Judge, himself a first-time head coach at 38, selected much of the defensive staff based on his own experience.
The Giants’ new chapter began with a 26–16 loss to the Steelers at MetLife Stadium. Second-year quarterback Daniel Jones was intercepted twice in that game, by T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward.
The team finished 6–10, although Graham’s defence improved significantly, ranking ninth in scoring defence and 12th in total defence. The following season went much worse overall and proved to be the last for both Judge and Graham with the Giants.
Again, Graham’s next move came quickly.
Four Seasons and Three Head Coaches in Las Vegas
On 31 January 2022, Josh McDaniels was appointed Las Vegas Raiders head coach, and one of the first phone calls he made was to his old Patriots colleague.
I’d like to imagine he opened with: “Hey matey, did you know there’s no state income tax in Nevada? Fancy a bit of dry desert air?” More likely, though, it was something closer to: “I’ve got a second chance here and I don’t want to falafel this up. I need a defensive coordinator I can trust — and that, my friend, is you.” Followed by some complaining about their old boss in the cut-up sweatshirt.
The Josh McDaniels gamble in Las Vegas is probably best left out of this piece. I will not go into Antonio Pierce’s flutter either.
Pete Carroll’s arrival added another layer. There were questions about how much influence such an experienced defensive coach would have over that side of the ball, while the team’s collapse — particularly in the second half of the season after Maxx Crosby was injured — cannot reasonably be placed at Graham’s feet alone.
During Graham’s time in Nevada, there was almost no premium draft investment in the unit he was running. Apart from Crosby, no other Raiders defensive player earned a Pro Bowl selection during Graham’s tenure. Across four seasons and three different head coaches, he continued to produce a competitive defence while doing more with less.
The fact that McDaniels, Pierce and Carroll all chose to retain him is a testament to his ability to adapt, work with the available players and remain valuable under very different regimes.
Reuniting With Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh
On 24 January 2026, Mike McCarthy agreed to become head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and one of his first calls was to his old Packers colleague.
I’d like to imagine he opened with: “Hey matey, did you know there is state income tax in Pennsylvania and the weather is unpredictable? We have unfinished business.” More likely, though, it was something closer to: “This may be my last opportunity as a head coach. I need a defensive coordinator I can trust — and that, my friend, is you.” Followed by excitement about their renewed partnership and pride in the Steelmark on the sweatshirt.
McCarthy has long been a fan of the 3–4 defence around which the Steelers built their identity more than three decades ago, when Bill Cowher arrived as head coach in 1992 and brought Dom Capers in as his defensive coordinator.
It wasn’t the 3–4 itself that Pittsburgh invented — that predates them by a decade and a half — but the zone-blitz version Capers and Dick LeBeau built together. “Blitzburgh” is the version the league still remembers.
“When you’ve got something that works the way it’s worked here for so long,” McCarthy has said, “I think you should try to do everything you can to build off of that, if possible.”
He was enough of a believer in Capers’s defence to hand him the unit in Green Bay for nine seasons. The two nearly reunited in Pittsburgh in 2026: Capers said that he and McCarthy discussed him joining the Steelers’ staff, but it did not work out. Capers instead took a senior defensive assistant role with the Browns.
In one of his first appearances as Steelers defensive coordinator, Graham said: “We’ve got to play hard-nosed, physical football. We have to have an intimidating play style.” Stopping the run was mentioned more than once.
It is the kind of language that can begin to sound like coach-speak on autopilot — almost like “the standard is the standard” or “paint the barn red” — and it is fair to be a little sceptical. No new hire is going to stand up and say anything different.
What was more interesting was Graham’s insistence that the coaches would adapt to the roster rather than forcing the players to learn an entirely new language.
“There’s no ‘Pat Graham playbook’,” he said. “The playbook evolves once I get around the guys.”
Follow this link to Ran's companion article:
Patrick Graham’s Coaching Career
2002–03 — Wagner: Graduate assistant
2004 — Richmond: Assistant defensive line coach
2005–06 — Richmond: Tight ends coach
2007–08 — Notre Dame: Graduate assistant
2009 — Toledo: Defensive line coach
2009 — New England Patriots: Coaching assistant
2010 — New England Patriots: Defensive assistant
2011 — New England Patriots: Linebackers coach
2012–13 — New England Patriots: Defensive line coach
2014–15 — New England Patriots: Linebackers coach
2016–17 — New York Giants: Defensive line coach
2018 — Green Bay Packers: Defensive run-game coordinator and inside linebackers coach
2019 — Miami Dolphins: Defensive coordinator
2020–21 — New York Giants: Assistant head coach and defensive coordinator
2022–25 — Las Vegas Raiders: Defensive coordinator
2026–present — Pittsburgh Steelers: Defensive coordinator
What Graham Wants From the Steelers Defence
Looking at what Graham has said publicly, especially about his expectations of the players under his charge, certain words recur: versatile, flexible, adaptable and interchangeable.
These words aren’t just buzzwords. Coaching under Belichick, Spagnuolo and Weis, and alongside Flores, has surely taught him how to build and run a defensive unit. His defences have never been tied to one scheme. He shapes each week’s plan around what a specific opponent does best and attempts to take it away — a very different approach from that of a coordinator who develops a fixed system and asks the roster to fit into it.
Graham has been truly unfortunate that the last seven head coaches he worked under between leaving the Patriots and joining the Steelers all lost their jobs, several amid considerable drama. In my view, that should not reflect badly on him.
One thing is certain: he has learned plenty about how not to do things — don’t forget you’re not in Foxborough. If the Steelers’ defence delivers in 2026, and the offence allows his players enough time to catch their breath, he could once again be a candidate in the next head-coaching carousel.
Could Patrick Graham Become an NFL Head Coach?
New York Jets, January 2021: The Jets requested an interview for their head-coaching position, but Graham declined.
New York Giants, January 2022: Graham interviewed as an internal candidate. He was the fifth person the team spoke to and the only one already on staff. The job went to Brian Daboll.
Minnesota Vikings, January–February 2022: Graham reached the final stage before the job went to Kevin O’Connell.
Los Angeles Chargers, January 2024: Graham interviewed while serving as Raiders defensive coordinator. The job went to Jim Harbaugh.
Jacksonville Jaguars, January 2025: Graham advanced to a second round of interviews before the Jaguars hired Liam Coen. Graham later said that team executives failed to attend a planned dinner after his interview, leaving him waiting at the restaurant.
Miami Dolphins, January 2026: Graham interviewed on 19 January, 11 days before becoming Steelers defensive coordinator. Miami hired Jeff Hafley.
What Comes Next?
We all want this new iteration of the Steelers to succeed, and when it does, who will we praise? The new incumbents? The players? Will there be any consideration for Tomlin?
His coaching legacy is doubted by many, but perhaps it is not his coaching style or the team’s ethos that most needs remembering. I believe it is the fact that the players he brought in are inherently infected with Steelers DNA. All that remains for the McCarthy–Graham partnership is to elevate those players to the next level.
Not deliberately doing things differently, but simply being different — especially compared with the previous way of doing things. Bringing the illusion of complexity while, underneath it all, keeping the Steelers’ lineage running through the team.
If you have stayed with me through this epic, well done — and you should now know the difference between the People’s Front of Judea and the Judean People’s Front.
In the spirit of staying positive, I’ll leave you with the title of that famous song from Life of Brian: “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”
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