PITTSBURGH - Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is resigning from his position after 11 years with the team, according to the Urbana (Ohio) Daily Citizen.
LeBeau, the 77-year-old architect of the zone blitz, announced on Saturday that he and the Steelers are mutually parting ways.
The announcement came after he was asked to resign by head coach Mike Tomlin following several days of meetings between the two.
"I'm resigning, I'm not retiring," LeBeau said to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "It was a lot of great days, a lot of great years. It's time to go in a different direction."
LeBeau's defense was ranked No. 1 in football five times and in the top five in ten seasons as the Steelers won two Super Bowl championships and featured in six playoff appearances.
The Post-Gazette reported linebackers coach Keith Butler to be the likely replacement, blocking opportunities for Butler to interview for other positions and increasing his pay on a three-year contract.
LeBeau was first hired by Pittsburgh as their secondary coach in 1992 and was elevated to the defensive coordinating job for the 1995-96 season. He was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals from 2000-02.
"It happens," he said. "It's like I'm starting brand new. In this business, you can end up in that position."
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