Official site of the Pittsburgh Steelers

Bob Ligashesky enters his first season with the Steelers after he was hired on Jan. 29, 2007, as the team's special teams coach.

Ligashesky, 44, is a native of Pittsburgh and has 23 years of coaching experience, including four in the NFL and 19 in the collegiate ranks.

Ligashesky (lig-a-SHES-kee) spent the past two seasons as the special teams coach for the St. Louis Rams. 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 against Seattle. 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.

Born June 2, 1962, Ligashesky is married (Shelley).

Ligashesky's Coaching Timeline:

Year Team Position

1985 Wake Forest Graduate assistant

1986-1988 Arizona State Graduate assistant

1989-1990 Kent State Outside linebackers/special teams

1991-1998 Bowling Green Linebackers/special teams

1999 Bowling Green Assistant head coach/linebackers/special teams

2000-2003 Pittsburgh Tight ends/special teams coordinator

2004 Jacksonville Jaguars Assistant special teams

2005-2006 St. Louis Rams Special teams

2007 Pittsburgh Steelers Special teams