Bob
Ligashesky
enters his third season with the Steelers after he was hired on Jan. 29, 2007, as the
team’s special teams coordinator.
Ligashesky, 46, is a native of Pittsburgh and
has 25 years of coaching experience, including six in the NFL and 19 in the
collegiate ranks.
Along with assistant special teams coach
Amos Jones, Ligashesky’s unit became the top coverage unit in the NFL in 2008.
Pittsburgh ranked first in kick coverage (19.1 avg.) and fourth in punt coverage
(6.2 avg.). Additionally, Santonio Holmes set a franchise postseason record by
returning a punt 67 yards for a score during the Steelers’ 35-24 AFC Divisional
Game victory over the San Diego Chargers.
Ligashesky (lig-a-SHES-kee) spent two seasons as the special teams
coach for the St. Louis Rams, prior to joining Pittsburgh (2005, 2006). The
Rams’ special teams unit in 2005 scored its first touchdown on a kickoff return
since 2000 as Chris Johnson returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for the score
in Week 5 againstSeattle. Last season also marked the third time
since the Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995 that the club had at least two blocked
kicks in a season. Ligashesky’s unit also forced and recovered fumbles on
special teams for the first time since 2000.
Prior to joining the Rams in 2005, Ligashesky served as
the assistant special teams coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2004, his
first season in the NFL.
Ligashesky served as the tight ends coach and special
teams coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh from 2000-03, after spending
the previous nine seasons (1991-99) at Bowling Green, coaching linebackers and
special teams before being named assistant head coach during his final season.
During his tenure at Bowling
Green, the Falcons captured two Mid-American Conference
championships (1991, 1992) and earned a pair of bowl
berths.
Ligashesky coached outside linebackers and worked with
special teams units at Kent
State for two years (1989-90), and was
a graduate assistant at Arizona State from 1986-88, working with outside
linebackers and defensive line. He began his coaching career as a graduate
assistant at Wake
Forest in 1985.
A three-year letterwinner at defensive back for
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), Ligashesky graduated in 1985 with a
degree in exercise science. He played high school linebacker for Sto-Rox
High.
Bob and his wife Shelley had their first
child this past summer, a baby girl,Sydney Jane.
