Another ex-Packers coach is joining Steelers amid Mike McCarthy takeover

Under new head coach Mike McCarthy, the Pittsburgh Steelers made another addition to their coaching staff Saturday, bringing in former Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans strength coach Mark Lovat, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. After a 25-year run in Green Bay, Lovat joined Tennessee and worked as an assistant strength and conditioning coach over the last two seasons. He worked closely with quarterback Aaron Rodgers during his time with the Packers, where he was the team’s strength and conditioning coordinator from 2010 to 2018 and was named strength coach of the year in 2011.

Lovat’s move to Pittsburgh puts him back in McCarthy’s orbit, just like in Green Bay. McCarthy was head coach of the Packers from 2006 to 2018, overlapping with Lovat’s tenure there. Lovat also spent the previous decade (1999-2009) as the assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Packers before stepping into his coordinator role. A former collegiate baseball player at Butler University, 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 Lovat, was an NFL offensive line coach from 1980 to 2003, though the two never worked together in Green Bay.

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

The specific roles for Lovat and Thorne with Pittsburgh are not yet known. They could either work as assistants, or one may take over as head of the strength and conditioning staff. The current Steelers strength staff includes Garrett Giemont, the team’s Senior Conditioning Coordinator since 2007, and recent staff members Phil Matusz, Justus Galac, Tyler Judkins, and Roderick Moore. With Lovat and Thorne’s expected arrival, changes to the existing personnel are likely.

These moves come after Mike Tomlin’s unexpected decision to step down following Pittsburgh’s ninth consecutive first-round playoff exit in the 2025 season. Tomlin informed players that he felt unable to push the franchise forward, stating clearly that the team “deserves better.”

Since taking over, McCarthy has begun building his staff, hiring James Campen as offensive line coach, Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator, and Scott Tolzien as offensive coordinator. Former Texas Tech outside linebackers coach C.J. Ah You has also interviewed for a role in Pittsburgh.

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