Steve Donatell is in his second season with the Titans and his fourth season coaching in the NFL. He was hired by Tennessee during the 2024 offseason after spending one campaign with the Miami Dolphins as a defensive assistant.

In 2024, Donatell contributed to a Titans defense that ranked second overall in the NFL (311.2 opponent yards per game) and second in passing defense (177.3). The unit tied for the fifth-fewest first downs allowed per game (18.5) and tied for the fifth-fewest opponent yards allowed per play (5.2).

During the 2023 season, Donatell was part of a staff that helped the Dolphins finish the season with a No. 10 overall defensive ranking (318.3 opponent yards per game) and a ranking of seventh against the run (97.1). The Dolphins' 56 sacks amounted to the third-highest mark in the league. Additionally, the defense's 27 takeaways tied for eighth place and included at least one takeaway in each of their final 12 games, including their postseason contest.

Donatell began his NFL coaching career with the Minnesota Vikings in 2022. He served as a defensive quality control assistant while his father, Ed Donatell, was the club's defensive coordinator. The Vikings tied for eighth in the NFL in takeaways (25) and tied for 10th in interceptions (15).

Prior to Minnesota, Donatell was in the college coaching ranks for four years, most recently as a defensive quality control analyst at Stanford University for three seasons (2019-21) under head coach David Shaw.

Donatell's first coaching job was in 2018 at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he coached outside linebackers. UTC finished second in the Southern Conference and 14th in the FCS in scoring defense, allowing 21.0 points per game. The Mocs were also third in the SoCon in total defense at 362.7 yards allowed per contest.

As a player, Donatell began his collegiate career at Wake Forest playing linebacker and tight end. He earned ACC Academic All-Conference honors as a senior in 2015 and graduated with a degree in communications. In 2016, he was a graduate transfer tight end at Western Kentucky University.

A native of Lone Tree, Colo., Donatell was a four-sport letterman in football, basketball, track and baseball at Highlands Ranch High School. Donatell played quarterback, throwing for 1,686 yards and 23 touchdowns in his senior year. He was also the punter and earned first-team All-Colorado honors.

His father, Ed Donatell, is a longtime defensive coordinator who began coaching in the NFL in 1990. Steve's brother, Tom, is the defensive backs coach for the Washington Commanders.

He is married to Ariel.

STEVE DONATELL TIMELINE

COACHING

2024-25: Defensive Assistant – Tennessee Titans

2023: Defensive Assistant – Miami Dolphins

2022: Defensive Quality Control – Minnesota Vikings

2019-21: Defensive Assistant – Stanford University

2018: Outside Linebackers – University of Tennessee at Chattanooga