The Pittsburgh Steelers have hired New England Patriots assistant offensive line coach Robert Kugler as their next tight ends coach, the team announced on Thursday, completing the position coaches for the new staff of head coach Mike McCarthy.
Kugler is the son of former Steelers offensive line coach Sean Kugler. He transferred to North Allegheny from the Buffalo area when his father took the Steelers job in 2010.
The younger Kugler attended Purdue, starting out as a tight end before moving to center. He redshirted in 2011, but was a four-year starter after that. He signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent, but did not make the team.
He quickly transitioned to coaching, where Kugler got his start coaching for his father, who was the head coach at UTEP in 2017. Robert Kugler spent one season as a graduate assistant and tight ends coach for the Miners. In 2018, when his father returned to the NFL, Robert Kugler moved to Washington , where he spent two seasons as a graduate assistant for the Hukies.
In 2020, he became the offensive quality control coach at Appalachian State, before making the jump to the NFL, first win 2021 as the assistant offensive line coach of the Houston Texans , and then two seasons as the assistant offensive line coach of the Carolina Panthers before joining the staff of Mike Vrabel in New England in 2025.
Kugler will be the fourth offensive position coach on McCarthy's staff with an offensive line background. Offensive line coach James Campen , assistant offensive line coach Jahri Evans , running backs coach Ramon Chinyoung and Kugler and played or previously coached offensive linemen.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers Poach from Patriots Staff, Hire NA Grad as Tight Ends Coach
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