Pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase of the Los Angeles Rams will not be the next head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. But he could still land in the AFC North while Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula may coach elsewhere too.
Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reported this weekend the Browns plan to fly to Los Angeles to interview Scheelhaase after the NFC championship game.
This could be particularly upsetting to Steelers fans who are upset the organization hired Mike McCarthy as head coach Saturday. The Steelers had a virtual interview with Scheelhaase before the divisional round.
Pittsburgh could have met with Scheelhaase for an in-person interview this coming week. Instead, the organization moved ahead with hiring McCarthy.
The same could be said for the Steelers with Shula. The Rams defensive coordinator will be able to interview in-person with teams beginning on Monday. But he is obviously out of the running in Pittsburgh.
NFL insider Albert Breer reported Shula interviewed with five NFL head coach openings this month. The Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals are the two that remain open.
Will Chris Shula Land a Head Coach Opening?
The narrative around Pittsburgh after the McCarthy hire was about the missed opportunity the Steelers had of hiring Shula.
In Pittsburgh’s defense, though, six teams have now filled their head coach opening this offseason. None of them chose Shula.
The Steelers received major criticism Saturday for hiring McCarthy before having the opportunity to interview Shula in person. But the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins did the same thing.
If Shula is going to land a head coaching job this offseason, it appears Arizona and Las Vegas are now his only two choices.
Shula could have been a candidate in Cleveland as well, but according to 92.3 The Fan’s Anthony Lima, Shula told the Browns “no thanks” early in the process.
Steelers team president Art Rooney II didn’t specifically address Shula’s candidacy. But Rooney explained the organization’s thought process to hire McCarthy on Saturday.
“We wound up bringing in three guys for in-person interviews – Brian Flores, Mike McCarthy, and Anthony Weaver – and then we sat down and talked about whether we had our man, or if we wanted to bring in more people for in-person interviews,” said Rooney. “We decided that Mike was the man for the job, and so we went ahead and offered him the job on Saturday.”
Nate Scheelhaase to Interview for Browns Head Coach Opening: Report
Shula might still have a shot in Arizona or Las Vegas. But Scheelhaase will get his chance to interview with the Browns.
Cleveland, though, could still go in a few different directions at head coach. The Browns completed their second interview with former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn over the weekend.
The Browns have also interviewed Todd Monken, Grant Udinski and incumbent defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz twice. Like Scheelhaase, Monken and Udinski have backgrounds on offense.
Cleveland has been a tough place to win for any head coach over the past 25 years. So, if Scheelhaase lands the Browns head coaching job, there’s no guarantee he proves the Steelers made a mistake in hiring McCarthy instead.
But initially, should Cleveland hire Scheelhaase, some Steelers fans will not be happy
Steelers Get Upsetting NFL Coach Update as Chris Shula Awaits Next Interview: Report