The Butler did it! The Steelers Keep a Good Guy.
By dave buzard
This just in: In a season in dire need of some good news, the Pittsburgh Steelers finally got some. Keith Butler, the Steelers linebackers coach has decided to remain with the team. Butler will keep his position coach title and unofficial heir apparent title as Defensive Coordinator in Waiting. Keith Butler’s contract had come to an end but negotiations were ongoing between the Steelers and his agent to retain his talents. Butler has signed a new contract and a measure of stability, a major one too, has returned. Good news for the Steelers, for things seemed to be getting weirder and more weirderer for the Black and Gold.
In a season marred by everything from unrest between labor and management, injury after injury, two losses to the Ravens (TCSFB), victories that felt kind of like losses, fines, suspensions, “retirements” that were mishandled, and a quarterback who may or may not have too much input in the play calling, and a hasty exit from the playoffs, it feels pretty good to have a solid guy like Keith Butler sticking around.
Keith Butler is a “stick around” kind of guy. He stuck around the Seattle Seahawks for ten seasons and still ranks second on the team in tackles. He has been coaching linebackers how to play professional tackle football since 1999. He was the only coach asked to stick around the Cleveland Browns when they cleaned the dog house in 2001. Butler came to the Steelers in 2003 and has been coaching the likes of Porter, Harrison, Farrior, Timmons, and Woodley ever since. He is a 3-4 defense type of fella too. That means no wacky looking defense from him when he does fully assume the reins of the most dominating damn defense ever designed. Dick Lebeau has been going year to year on his contracts for the past couple of seasons and with his successor locked up into the fold, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lebeau finally hang up the cleats. Congratulations to everybody involved in making this deal happen. Hey, is that Todd Haley’s Camaro in the Steelers parking lot? Let the weird begin again!!