Gerald Alexander is an unappreciated signing for Raiders

Gerald Alexander has been named the Las Vegas Raiders’ new safeties coach.

The Las Vegas Raiders made no changes to their defensive coaching staff this offseason, but the ones they did should have a significant impact.

According to the Raiders’ final 2024 coaching staff list, Gerald Alexander, a former Pittsburgh Steelers assistant defensive backs coach, will serve as the Raiders’ safeties coach.

While Alexander has only been coaching in the NFL since 2020, he has coached some of the league’s best defensive backs in that short time.

Alexander, the Miami Dolphins’ defensive backs coach in 2020 and 2021, coached four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard to an All-Pro season and back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances. Howard led the league with ten interceptions and twenty passes defensed during his All-Pro season (2020).

After being fired by the Dolphins in February 2022, Alexander joined the Pittsburgh Steelers as an assistant defensive backs coach for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

While in Pittsburgh, Alexander assisted in the coaching of Minkah Fitzpatrick, one of the league’s greatest safeties. He was awarded a Pro Bowler and an Associated Press All-Pro First Team selection for the 2022 season, marking his third time garnering both honors. He was also selected for the Pro Bowl last season.

Before coaching in the NFL, Alexander spent seven seasons coaching at the collegiate level, including stops at Arkansas State, Washington, Indiana State, Montana State, and California.

Alexander spent five seasons in the NFL as a defensive back, beginning with the Detroit Lions, who picked him in the second round of the 2007 draft. He also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins, and New York Jets.