Steelers coordinator Bruce Arians retires

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says offensive coordinator Bruce Arians is retiring from coaching.

The 57-year-old Arians joined the Steelers as the wide receivers coach in 2004 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2007.

Tomlin announced the move in a statement Friday, lauding Arians for “helping lead our offense to new heights.”

Arians entered the NFL as a running backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1989 and served as Peyton Manning’s first quarterback coach.

His NFL resume also includes stints with the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns.

The Steelers have signed 2006 Heisman Trophy quarterback Troy Smith to a reserve/futures contract.

Smith, who played for Ohio State, spent three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens from 2007-09, beating the Steelers as a rookie starter in 2007.

He was with the San Francisco 49ers in 2010. He last played with the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League.

Pittsburgh quarterbacks Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch will become unrestricted free agents in the offseason, and Smith gives the team depth heading into mini-camp and organized team activities.

The Steelers also signed cornerback Walter McFadden, who played for the Oakland Raiders in 2010 and split his time between the Raiders and the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011.

Pittsburgh also signed wide receivers Tyler Beiler, David Gilreath, Derrick Williams and Jimmy Young.

In Reno, Nev., lawyers for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and a woman who accused him of raping her at a Lake Tahoe hotel-casino in 2008 have reached a settlement that ends her civil lawsuit against the Steelers quarterback.

Cal Dunlap, the Reno lawyer representing the woman, confirmed the settlement on Friday but declined to discuss the terms of the agreement.

“The matter has been resolved and I have no further comment,” he told The Associated Press.

The settlement also dismisses claims against Harrah’s employees whom the woman had accused of covering up the alleged sexual assault in Roethlisberger’s penthouse suite in July 2008.

Dunlap first told Washoe District Court Judge Brent Adams in papers filed last Nov. 30 that his client wanted to have a stay lifted so the case could be dismissed because a settlement was pending.

“All parties have reached a resolution of all claims and counterclaims,” he wrote.

Adams formally dismissed the case Dec. 27 but neither side had publicized it until now.

The Nevada Supreme Court had ruled against the two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback’s request in August to have the case moved from Reno to Carson City because it was closer to where the alleged incident had occurred at Harrah’s in Stateline.

The woman was a VIP casino hostess at Harrah’s when she said Roethlisberger allegedly lured her to his room under the pretense of fixing his television. Roethlisberger was in town at the time to play in a celebrity golf tournament.

Roethlisberger denied the allegations.

The original lawsuit filed in 2009 sought a minimum of $440,000 in damages from the quarterback, at least $50,000 in damages from the Harrah’s officials and an unspecified amount in punitive damages.

The woman said she never filed a criminal complaint because she feared Harrah’s would side with Roethlisberger and she would be fired.