As an assistant coach for 16 seasons over two stints, Dick LeBeau became synonymous with the Steelers and solid defensive play.
The Steelers ranked in the top five in the NFL in total defense 10 times in LeBeau's 13 seasons as the team's defensive coordinator. More importantly, all four of the Steelers' most recent Super Bowl appearances came with LeBeau as their defensive coordinator.
With the team in a defensive transition in 2013 and 2014, it was time for a change not just in the players – a move that began soon after the Steelers lost to the Denver Broncos to end the 2011 season – but with the coaching staff, as well.
Rather than accept a lesser role behind his good friend Keith Butler – the team's longtime linebackers coach – LeBeau resigned his position with the Steelers in January of 2015, right after the team had lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs to end its season.
Despite being 77 at the time, he was immediately scooped up by the Titans and then-head coach Ken Whisenhunt, who had worked with LeBeau in Pittsburgh.
Thursday night, LeBeau, now 80, will make his return to Heinz Field when the Steelers (7-2) host the Titans (6-3).
"As awesome as it will be to see Dick on a personal note, he’s not the type of guy you want to see in a headset on the other sideline," Mike Tomlin said.
True enough.
LeBeau, the creator of the zone blitz defensive scheme that he brought with him as a member of Bill Cowher's first coaching staff in 1992, is a defensive mastermind.
Under his direction as defensive coordinator in 1995 – he spent his first three seasons as defensive backs coach under Dom Capers – the Steelers ranked third in total defense and then second in 1996.
LeBeau left the Steelers for a similar job with Cincinnati in 1997 and eventually became head coach of the Bengals, but returned to Pittsburgh in 2004, a move that coincided with the team's selection of Ben Roethlisberger in the first round of the draft.
Roethlisberger has watched LeBeau's defensive schemes work against opposing quarterbacks in the past. He practiced against them, as well, for the first 11 seasons of his career.
"This is a Dick LeBeau defense," Roethlisberger said of the Titans. "You will have some issues."
Maybe. Maybe not.
The Titans rank 16th in the NFL in total defense this season and are tied for 28th in the league in sacks with 14. The Steelers, meanwhile, rank second in the NFL in total defense and are tied for second with 29 sacks.
But the Steelers also have completely made over their defense in the two years since Butler replaced LeBeau.
Just five of the team's 12 defensive starters – counting nickel corner Mike Hilton – were with the Steelers when LeBeau left following the 2014 season.
But Butler coached with LeBeau for so long, it would be difficult for him to not have a lasting impression.
"I love Coach LeBeau," said Butler. "He's one of my best friends. I play golf with him. I played golf with him this offseason."
That friendship could make things even more heated Thursday night.
"I think you're more competitive," said Butler about coaching against a friend. "It's like playing your brother in basketball."
A much older brother, I asked the 61-year-old Butler?
"Yeah, I'm not going to say he could be my dad," Butler said with a laugh. "He's my older brother. We've played golf a lot and I don't think I've won but five rounds off of him. He gets (ticked) off because I make him putt every putt.
"We've had a great relationship over 12 years."
But Butler has altered what LeBeau did, as well, adding his own touches.
"There's a difference," said Titans head coach and former Steelers offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey of what Butler is doing. "They use different fronts, moving their guys up front more than they did in the past."
But Butler said he bases everything the Steelers do off what LeBeau installed here.
In fact, he said he would have been insane not to do so.
"We'd be fools not to do what we did before when we were successful," Butler told me. "We were top-5 in defense a lot of times when he was coordinator. People catch up with it, so you've got to tweak it here and there. That's about all we've done is tweak it here and there."
LeBeau, on the other hand, according to Mularkey, is largely running the same scheme he did when he was with the Steelers. There are some notable exceptions, however.
While the Steelers were very reliant on zone coverage behind LeBeau's exotic blitzes, the Titans have invested highly in cornerbacks. Former Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan was signed to a three-year, $30-million contract, while the team used its 18th pick in the draft on cornerback Adoree' Jackson.
"He hasn't changed much," said Mularkey. "He's been pretty successful over his career. There's no reason to reinvent the wheel. If you've got guys that understand the system and have been in it for a little while, he's pretty confident in what he's doing. So are we."
That can make things difficult, even for a veteran quarterback such as Roethlisberger. When he was with the Steelers, it wasn't uncommon for LeBeau to come up with at least one new blitz package each week.
"That’s what makes him so special," Roethlisberger said. "He’s probably one of the best defensive coordinators and even better person that I’ve ever been around and met. It was so much fun to be on his team and watch what he did to other quarterbacks. I don’t think it’s going to be as much fun going against him."
Maybe not for the offensive players.
But for the defensive players who were around when LeBeau was here, it will be an opportunity to show their former and beloved boss how they have grown.
"You spend one, two or three or four years with him, I like to think you grew up with him," said defensive end Cam Heyward, a first-round draft pick in 2011. "I think a lot of our characteristics are Dick LeBeau-driven. Even our goals, they were instilled by Coach LeBeau, and our coaches were under him, so I think his imprint is a lasting imprint that a lot of our defense wants to reach. He's coached Super Bowl-winning defenses. He got the best out of them. But that doesn't even touch on the man he is.
"But this isn't a funeral or anything. Coach LeBeau's going to be out there trying to kick our (butts) so we've got to be ready."
MCDONALD DOESN'T PRACTICE
Tight end Vance McDonald was still in a walking boot Tuesday and did not practice for the Steelers.
McDonald suffered an ankle injury in the first half of last Sunday's win over Indianapolis but returned to catch his first touchdown catch as a member of the Steelers. He was in the walking boot following the game, as well.
Receiver Martavis Bryant (illness) also did not practice.
Meanwhile, safety Mike Mitchell (ankle) was a partial participant in practice Tuesday, as was linebacker James Harrison (back).
Cornerback Joe Haden (leg) has already been declared out for Thursday's game.
With Haden out at least a few weeks, the Steelers worked out cornerback Jack Tocho of North Carolina State. Tocho was a seventh-round draft pick of the Vikings this season.