In his first interview since hiring Mike McCarthy, Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II shared several reasons why the veteran coach was his organization’s choice to replace Mike Tomlin.
Still, perhaps the biggest takeaway from Rooney’s interview wasn’t what he said about McCarthy but rather how he reacted to the criticism over the hire.
In so many words, Rooney made clear he really doesn’t care what fans have to say about the new Steelers head coach.
“We’re really not worried about winning the initial press conference. It’s about picking the coach we believe will help us win games,” said Rooney. “Social media really doesn’t enter into it, and none of that will matter once we’re starting to play games.”
“The message for our fans is we’re very excited.”
Art Rooney II Addresses Mike McCarthy Hiring Criticism
How fans take Rooney’s response to the criticism he’s received for hiring McCarthy really all depends on one’s perspective.
A lot of pundits would argue it’s not an NFL team’s job to fulfill the desires of fans. Often times, fans can be irrational. They think emotionally rather than from a football or business viewpoint.
The Steelers fanbase is one of the most passionate in the NFL. With that sometimes comes even more emotion and irrationality.
It’s a lot easier, though, for an outside pundit to argue Steelers fans should trust their ownership group. A large sect of the team’s fans had a different preference for the team’s next head coach.
Rooney won’t be able to change their minds with words, especially ones, from a negative fan’s perspective, come across as condescending.
Patience is also understandably wearing thin because of the team’s seven-game postseason losing streak. That explains the low goodwill in the fan base.
All of this could make for a very interesting 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. Rooney and Steelers fans may be at odds the entire offseason until one side is proven correct on McCarthy next fall or in the years to come.
“We think we have a coach who is well-equipped to lead us into the next winning phase of Steelers football, and that’s what it’s all about,” Rooney added. “I think they’re going to love Coach Mike.”
Steelers Faced Similar Head Coach Hiring Criticism With Mike Tomlin
While some analysts are coming forward to defend the Steelers hiring McCarthy, others are continuing to pile on. Specifically, Rooney and the team are under a little fire for the hiring process.
It’s hard to explain the quick nature in which the Steelers hired McCarthy. In Rooney’s defense, though, the Steelers also faced fan pushback with the hiring of Mike Tomlin.
In 2007, not a lot of fans supported the decision to replace Bill Cowher with Tomlin. The Steelers received criticism over that choice for several reasons, including skipping over qualified offensive coaches on staff in Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm.
There were also questions about Tomlin’s potential need to replace then defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau with his own hire who would switch the defense from the 3-4 to 4-3 base set.
Tomlin didn’t end his Steelers tenure without faults. But clearly, the Steelers made the right choice to hire him.
Rooney sounds convinced he has made the correct choice again. If he feels that good about McCarthy, then no fan criticism is (or should) going to change his confidence.
Art Rooney II Makes One Thing Very Clear to Steelers Fans With Mike McCarthy Hire