The Pittsburgh Steelers have hired three young, defensive-minded head coaches the last three times the position became open. So when Mike Tomlin announced Tuesday he was departing the organization, the initial assumption was the Steelers would probably repeat their head coach hiring formula.
Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora, though, argued the franchise will cast a very wide net and won’t overlook prior relationships team executives possess. Interestingly, two notable connections exist with two Super Bowl winning head coaches — Mike McCarthy and Doug Pederson.
Kozora labeled both McCarthy and Pederson as “candidates who make sense” to replace Tomlin.
“McCarthy has connections to the Steelers’ front office: general manager Omar Khan and assistant Andy Weidl,” wrote Kozora. “The three spent 2000 together with the New Orleans Saints. McCarthy as the offensive coordinator, Khan in Football Ops and as a coaching assistant, and Weidl as a scout.
“Art Rooney II will make the hire, but he linked Khan and Weidl together in 2022 in part because of their history working together.”
Ironic, McCarthy, who is a Greenfield, PA native, defeated Tomlin and the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. McCarthy has 18 years of head coaching experience with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys.
Pederson led the Philadelphia Eagles to their first Super Bowl title in 2017. Pederson also has a second head coaching stop with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Surely, the most unpopular name on this list, Pederson, hasn’t been mentioned much by others,” Kozora added. “For good reason. He has a career sub-.500 head coaching record (64-66), though he and the Philadelphia Eagles went on a remarkable run to win the 2017 Super Bowl.
“If Rooney is looking for synergy with the front office, Pederson is connected to Weidl from their days together in Philadelphia. The two worked hand-in-hand during the NFL draft.”
Ex-Super Bowl Winning Head Coaches Named Candidates to Replace Mike Tomlin