Another former Packers coach is joining Pittsburgh amid the Mike McCarthy takeover

Under a new coach Mike McCarthythe Pittsburgh Steelers made another in addition to his coaching staff Saturday, bringing in former Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans coach Mark Lovatt, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz said. After 25 years in Green Bay, Lovatt joined Tennessee and served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the past two seasons. He worked closely with quarterback Aaron Rodgers during his time with the Packers, serving as the team’s strength and conditioning coordinator from 2010-2018 and was named the 2011 Strength Coach of the Year.

Lovato’s move to Pittsburgh puts him back in McCarthy’s orbit, just as he did in Green Bay. McCarthy was the Packers’ head coach from 2006 to 2018, overlapping with Lovato’s tenure there. Lovat also spent the previous decade (1999-2009) as the Packers’ assistant strength and conditioning coach before stepping into his role as coordinator. A former Butler University baseball alumnus, Lovat holds a master’s degree in exercise science and performance enhancement from California University of Pennsylvania, giving him strong ties to the state. His father, Tom Lovett, was an NFL offensive line coach from 1980 to 2003, although the two never worked together in Green Bay.

In addition to Lovat, the Steelers also hired Grant Thorne, another former Packers and Titans assistant coach. Thorne was in Green Bay from 2013 to 2023 and joined Tennessee in 2024-25. He played college football at Long Beach City College and Nicholls State, worked for the New York Jets in 2010 and was the sports performance coach at Purdue from 2011 to 2014 after a stint at Stanford.

The specific roles of Lovat and Thorne with Pittsburgh are not yet known. They can either work as assistants, or someone can take over as the head of the strength and conditioning staff. The current Steelers staff includes Garrett Guimont, the team’s senior conditioning coordinator since 2007, and recent staff members Phil Matusz, Justus Galac, Tyler Judkins and Roderick Moore. With the expected arrival of Lovat and Thorne, changes to the existing staff are likely.

The moves come on the heels of Mike Tomlin’s unexpected decision to retire following Pittsburgh’s ninth straight first-round playoff exit in 2025. Tomlin informed the players he felt unable to improve the franchise, making it clear the team “deserves better.”

Since taking over, McCarthy has begun building his staff, hiring James Kampen as offensive line coach, Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator and Scott Tolzien as offensive coordinator. Former Texas Tech outside linebackers coach CJ Ah Yew also interviewed for the Pittsburgh role.