PITTSBURGH — Mike Tomlin apparently intends to make special teams a priority in his first season as the Pittsburgh Steelers' coach.

Tomlin completed his first staff Monday by hiring five new coaches, including Bob Ligashesky as the special teams coach and Amos Jones as Ligashesky's assistant.

Also added were wide receivers coach Randy Fichtner, running backs coach Kirby Wilson and offensive line coach Larry Zierlein.

Tomlin, hired last week, retained six members of Bill Cowher's final staff — including new offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who was promoted last week from receivers coach. Also returning are defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, defensive line coach John Mitchell, linebackers coach Keith Butler and tight ends coach James Daniel.

Ray Horton, previously the assistant defensive backs coach, was promoted to defensive backs coach. Darren Perry, the former Steelers player who held that job for the last three seasons, was not retained.

"They are all good communicators who will help make sure our players understand what exactly is expected of them," Tomlin said Monday — the first full day he has spent in his office since taking over last week.

Previously, Tomlin identified former Cincinnati Bengals player and assistant coach Ken Anderson as the quarterbacks coach. Anderson, 57, replaces former University of Massachusetts coach Mark Whipple, who had been the quarterbacks coach since Ben Roethlisberger was drafted in 2004 but was not retained.

The Steelers have never had two coaches devoted to special teams — Chuck Noll once coached them by himself — but Tomlin decided to do so following a major falloff in production by the kicking units last season.

Chris Gardocki's 41.3 yards-per-punt average was the third-lowest among NFL regulars, and Jeff Reed missed seven of 27 field goal attempts. Reed had missed only five times in each of the previous two seasons, while attempting more kicks in each than he did last season.

Ligashesky, a 44-year-old native of suburban McKees Rocks, coached previously in the practice complex where the Steelers train — he was Pitt's tight ends and special teams coordinator under former coach Walt Harris from 2000 to 2003. He was the St. Louis Rams' special teams coach during the last two seasons after being the Jaguars' assistant special teams coach in 2004.

Jones, who is 47, also coached at Pitt in 1992 as the kicking game coordinator. He was the special teams and outside linebackers coach at Mississippi State for the last three seasons. This will be the first time he has coached in the NFL.