The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly working toward a deal to hire Mike McCarthy as their next head coach, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Saturday.
McCarthy will replace Mike Tomlin, who stepped down after a 19-season run leading the Steelers. Tomlin was the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL before he resigned.
Advertisement
McCarthy is only Pittsburgh’s fourth head coach since 1969. He follows in the footsteps of Tomlin, Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll, who were 34, 34 and 37 years old, respectively, when they were given the keys. Noll coached Pittsburgh to four Super Bowl wins over 23 seasons. Cowher delivered a Lombardi in his 15 seasons, and Tomlin ushered in another early in his nearly two-decade stay.
Under the ownership of the Rooney family, the Steelers have become known for their organizational stability, in part because of their expertise in picking coaches to guide the franchise.
Pittsburgh’s six Super Bowl titles are tied for the most in NFL history. The New England Patriots matched that total during the second leg of their 21st-century dynasty.
The Steelers haven’t won it all since the 2008 season, though. They last made it to the Super Bowl during the 2010 campaign, and they haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season.
Advertisement
While Tomlin’s Steelers never had a losing season, he lost his last seven playoff games as head coach. Owner Art Rooney II would have welcomed Tomlin back in 2026, but now that he’s gone, the franchise has hit the reset button. That said, Rooney doesn’t like the word “rebuild.”
He told reporters that the Steelers will try to compete Day 1.
McCarthy will be tasked with returning postseason success to the Steel City while maintaining the hard-nosed culture and proud tradition his predecessors stewarded.
Read the full article here
