The Pittsburgh Steelers joined eight other NFL teams with an opening at head coach Tuesday. Longtime head coach Mike Tomlin announced he is stepping down from his position.
Of the nine NFL head coach openings, three of them are in the AFC North. Could those division rivals play musical head coach chairs this offseason?
CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo argued it’s a possibility for Pittsburgh.
Hours after Tomlin’s departure, DeArdo included both former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski on list of eight candidates for the Steelers.
“Oh, the oddity of the Steelers hiring the just-fired coach of their arch rival. While it seems far-fetched, Harbaugh’s success and familairity with the AFC North may compel the Steelers to reach out to Harbaugh’s camp,” wrote DeArdo.
“Like Tomlin, Harbaugh is a Super Bowl-winning coach who enjoyed a lengthy run of success with his former employer. While their careers are very similar, Harbaugh has had more playoff success than Tomlin. In fact, his eight road playoff wins is an NFL record.”
If AFC North familiarity is a key factor for the Steelers, Stefanski will also be a candidate in Pittsburgh.
“While his time in Cleveland ultimately didn’t go as hoped, Stefanski was nonetheless a two-time Coach of the Year recipient who led the Browns to their first playoff win since 1994,” wrote DeArdo. “At 43, he’s also still one of the NFL’s younger coaches. Stefanski was born in Pennsylvania and played defensive back at Penn.”
With Tomlin’s departure, the Steelers will be hiring their first head coach since 2007. The franchise has hired just two other head coaches — Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll — over the last 57 years.
Could Steelers Really Hire John Harbaugh?
Crazier things have happened than the Steelers hiring Harbaugh.
Pittsburgh has a major question at quarterback, but the organization is one of the most stable in the NFL. The Steelers are more patience with results than any other in the league, which could be an attractive traits for coaching candidates this offseason.
Meanwhile, Harbaugh is one of the most attractive candidates because of his pedigree of success.
Harbaugh became an NFL head coach just after Tomlin did in 2008. Harbaugh posted a 180-113 record in 18 years with the Ravens. He also went 13-11 during the postseason.
Tomlin had a superior regular season mark at 193-114-2. Tomlin accomplished that without much at quarterback the past several years since Ben Roethlisberger retired.
Harbaugh primarily had two quarterbacks in Baltimore, including 2-time MVP Lamar Jackson.
Neither coach has had much recent success in the playoffs. But Harbaugh won as many road postseason games in Baltimore as Tomlin won playoff contests overall.
Harbaugh owned a 13-11 playoff record. Tomlin went 8-12 in the postseason.
Why Kevin Stefanski Could Be a Candidate for Steelers
If Harbaugh is on the table for the Steelers, then Stefanski could be too. That’s especially true if the Steelers aim to modernize their offense with their next head coach hire.
Stefanski is seen as one of the brightest offensive minds in the league. As DeArdo mentioned, he’s also only 43 years old and from Pennsylvania.
The Steelers opening could intrigue either Harbaugh or Stefanski also because it would give them a chance to face their former team twice a year. Unlike Tomlin, Harbaugh and Stefanski were each fired.
Knowing the Steelers, though, they will consider Harbaugh and Stefanski’s success and then aim to hire the next Harbaugh or Stefanski. Particularly in Harbaugh’s case, there are several up-and-coming coaches that have served under him that could be intriguing head coach candidates.
John Harbaugh, 2nd Ex-Rival Coach Named Steelers HC Targets After Mike Tomlin Exit