End Of The Line For The Pittsburgh Steelers?

[Couchpotato]

The Pittsburgh Steelers are now conducting their first head coaching search since 2007 following Mike Tomlin’s departure after 19 seasons. While no internal promotion has been confirmed, several current Steelers coaches are being discussed as potential candidates.

Arthur Smith, the team’s offensive coordinator, is a top internal contender. He has led the Steelers’ offense since 2024 and previously served as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2021 to 2023. Smith has already interviewed for the Tennessee Titans' head coaching job and is widely respected for his offensive schemes and quarterback development.

Eddie Faulkner, the team’s co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach, is another internal name gaining attention. He has been with the Steelers since 2017 and played a key role in developing Najee Harris into a four-time 1,000-yard rusher. Faulkner was promoted to co-offensive coordinator after Matt Canada’s midseason firing in 2023 and praised by Tomlin for his organizational skills.

Other internal candidates include Teryl Austin, the defensive coordinator, and Nate Scheelhaase, the Rams’ passing game coordinator, though the latter is not currently with the Steelers.

Despite the strong case for continuity, the Steelers have historically favored young, outside hires—most notably Tomlin at 34 in 2007. The team is now interviewing external candidates, including Chris Shula (Rams DC), Jesse Minter (Chargers DC), and Brian Flores (Vikings DC), with the final decision expected to reflect a mix of experience, youth, and alignment with the franchise’s long-term vision.

Leading candidates for the job

Flores
Shula
Minter
Kubiak
Jacksonville OC Udinski?
I’m hoping they interview Leftwich.

It won’t be an internal hire.

 

[egp320i]

They will go with flores, another DC....and........he fits the rule
just a younger version of tomlin

 

[Couchpotato]

They will go with flores, another DC....and........he fits the rule
just a younger version of tomlin

View attachment 1206545

He’s definitely on the list but I think he’s at the bottom honestly. He’s not like Tomlin at all actually. He’s a really sharp defensive guy but he’s an authoritarian closer to Belichick than Tomlin. Tomlin was never anywhere near as good a defensive play caller as Flores and he’s a players coach.

 

[leftwinger]

They will go with flores, another DC....and........he fits the rule
just a younger version of tomlin

View attachment 1206545

Flores lied about MIA and tried to sue them. He said the CEO was involved in $200K bribes to tank games? Then it all went quiet when he skunked off to MINN. I think he also tried the racism game? UGH. Non-starter.

Aurther Smith is "in-house". I know, not raised a Steeler. He also washed out badly at ATL. No offense there, then PITT hired him for the OC? Strange at the time.

 

[toobfreak]

The Pittsburgh Steelers are now conducting their first head coaching search since 2007 following Mike Tomlin’s departure after 19 seasons. While no internal promotion has been confirmed, several current Steelers coaches are being discussed as potential candidates.

Arthur Smith, the team’s offensive coordinator, is a top internal contender. He has led the Steelers’ offense since 2024 and previously served as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2021 to 2023. Smith has already interviewed for the Tennessee Titans' head coaching job and is widely respected for his offensive schemes and quarterback development.

Eddie Faulkner, the team’s co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach, is another internal name gaining attention. He has been with the Steelers since 2017 and played a key role in developing Najee Harris into a four-time 1,000-yard rusher. Faulkner was promoted to co-offensive coordinator after Matt Canada’s midseason firing in 2023 and praised by Tomlin for his organizational skills.

Other internal candidates include Teryl Austin, the defensive coordinator, and Nate Scheelhaase, the Rams’ passing game coordinator, though the latter is not currently with the Steelers.

Despite the strong case for continuity, the Steelers have historically favored young, outside hires—most notably Tomlin at 34 in 2007. The team is now interviewing external candidates, including Chris Shula (Rams DC), Jesse Minter (Chargers DC), and Brian Flores (Vikings DC), with the final decision expected to reflect a mix of experience, youth, and alignment with the franchise’s long-term vision.

Well, I'm not in favor of elevating anyone on the current coaching staff up to head coach. That is the same bullshit weenie approach that lead them to picking Kenny Pickett. I've not seen anything in either the Steeler's offense this year to its defense that makes me think "that is our guy." For one thing, the defense has performed terribly and the offense is lights out inconsistent.

The defense is continually unprepared caught with their pants down all the time. And teams continually remark how predictable and transparent the Steeler offense was. The Steelers run the same idiotic zone defense that has failed them in years and the offense is appalling--- no depth to the receivers, ineffectual running never able to open routes for running, and nothing but check down plays behind scrimmage that seldom work.

Three supposed superstar TEs who were supposed to be central to the offense except the key TE was hardly ever even used. Indeed, it was remarkable how infrequently and inconsistently Steelers even got or kept their key points producers in the game.

Also, good coaching is not something you can teach. It is not something you learn with experience otherwise everyone would have a good coach. Coaching is a leadership position and you either have it or you do not.

Of the names bantered, I can't say any of them thrill me, but I suppose the best of them might be Brian Flores, Chris Shula, or Nate Scheelhaase.

 

[toobfreak]

They will go with flores, another DC....and........he fits the rule
just a younger version of tomlin

Worth adding is that Brian Flores also already served under Tomlin in 2022 as the Steelers senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach.

 

[egp320i]

Worth adding is that Brian Flores also already served under Tomlin in 2022 as the Steelers senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach.

yes I did read that but I was not aware but he seems to have some baggage as well
not sure they need a defensive minded coach or they are in the same boat the past 19 years

as you noted, steelers always liked the running game but that's a slow grind
running now its is a compliment to passing, good for short yards but nobody
relies just on that

one only has to look at the top teams now and see how they work

funny I could have thought NE missed the playoffs just a few years ago and they rebuilt
and are 13-4 this year, that was fast

steelers have been rebuilding for the past 20 years without much to show for it

 

[Couchpotato]

yes I did read that but I was not aware but he seems to have some baggage as well
not sure they need a defensive minded coach or they are in the same boat the past 19 years

as you noted, steelers always liked the running game but that's a slow grind
running now its is a compliment to passing, good for short yards but nobody
relies just on that

one only has to look at the top teams now and see how they work

funny I could have thought NE missed the playoffs just a few years ago and they rebuilt
and are 13-4 this year, that was fast

steelers have been rebuilding for the past 20 years without much to show for it

Eagles won the SB last year with the rushing chanp

Bills have the rushing chanp this year
Bears have a great running game
SF has arguably the best all around RB in the NFL
Rams have a top 10 RB.

What’s tbe thing the Chiefs haven’t been able to do the last 2 years? Answer: Run the ball

 

[toobfreak]

not sure they need a defensive minded coach or they are in the same boat the past 19 years

We need an offensive genius.

as you noted, steelers always liked the running game but that's a slow grind

Steelers have not well run the ball much since Jerome Bettis. They picked a RB in the 1st Round! And got Najee Harris! The main need for running these days is for short yardage downs and to keep the defense honest so they have to keep players near the scrimmage line.

Considering how they had Rodgers as QB, I was rather surprised how little they actually featured passing against the Texans and others this year often relying on running play after running play, only interspersed with a pass here or there.

funny I could have thought NE missed the playoffs just a few years ago and they rebuilt
and are 13-4 this year, that was fast. steelers have been rebuilding for the past 20 years without much to show for it

Tell me about it. The Steelers have been rebuilding since the 1980s. First it was the lean Mark Malone years. Then the sad Bubby (I'm Your Man) Brister years. Then there was Kordell who should have been a WR, indeed, the Steelers one good year since their '70s dynasty was 2008 when Ben actually played lights out his best football and they won a Super Bowl.

Even SB XL in 2005, Steelers were #6 seed and only LUCKED into the SB after a Bettis fumble that Roethlisberger was lucky enough to trip up the defender and stop him from running it back for a TD.

 

[egp320i]

Eagles won the SB last year with the rushing chanp

Bills have the rushing chanp this year
Bears have a great running game
SF has arguably the best all around RB in the NFL
Rams have a top 10 RB.

What’s tbe thing the Chiefs haven’t been able to do the last 2 years? Answer: Run the ball

it compliments but air is where the yards are and all those teams had a great running back

steelers not so much, I don't now what happened to the guy earlier who was doing good, injured?

 

[Couchpotato]

it compliments but air is where the yards are and all those teams had a great running back

steelers not so much, I don't now what happened to the guy earlier who was doing good, injured?

The data don’t bear that out.

 

[egp320i]

The data don’t bear that out.

what data? 50/50.......how many yards air to run?

the game is only so long, if you did nothing but run the ball for 5 yards the
score would be 7-3 by the end, that's a baseball game, not football

people want to see bomb passes, great catches and scores, not a rugby match

 

[toobfreak]

it compliments but air is where the yards are and all those teams had a great running back

Great rushing teams like the Eagles or the Bears are beasts on the O-line. They have the might to power open running lanes for the back to gain 10-15 yards at a time. The liability to a run-heavy/weak passing team is that even a good running team is lucky to gain 10 yards a carry while a good passer can go 30 yards at a time. And running drives take time, passing is lightning quick, vital when running out of clock.

Worse, if they know you cannot/ are not going to pass, they can crowd the scrimmage line and keep everyone closer.

 

[Couchpotato]

what data? 50/50.......how many yards air to run?

the game is only so long, if you did nothing but run the ball for 5 yards the
score would be 7-3 by the end, that's a baseball game, not football

people want to see bomb passes, great catches and scores, not a rugby match

The post I replied to had nothing to do with with “what people want to see”.

 

[leftwinger]

Some teams play fast and gain big yards and score 35pts winning shootouts. Rams, SF, CHI? Etc.

Some teams PITT HOU CLEVE stall and use up 40sec clock every play running two yards, three yd. Passes .... punt 6 times. Horrible boring games. If you are there in the stands, with TV timeouts! It is 3 hours mostly standng around waiting on huddles or timeouts.

At the end of games many slow teams end up trying to score in bunches to catch up? UGH! Where were they on the first 2 possessions? Maybe you only get 6 possessions if you play a slow team? Ugh!

My Point is. I say the clock rules are a joke. 40 sec? You need that much time? Clock runs if they reset chains after 1st down? If you go OB? After zebra spots the ball, now they stand there blocking till everyone is on place? After incomplete pass but last two min? WTH happened!!!!!

But then if some yell for changes, you get the SF vs. CHI game and Goodell says sit down and SHUP!

 

[toobfreak]

Some teams PITT HOU CLEVE stall and use up 40sec clock every play running two yards, three yd. Passes .... punt 6 times. Horrible boring games. If you are there in the stands, with TV timeouts! It is 3 hours mostly standng around waiting on huddles or timeouts.

That was one of the biggest complaints against Pittsburgh--- other teams and sports analysts regularly complain of Pittsburgh being very 1-dimensional and predictable. You know every play before they run it. And when the Steelers would run the rare trick gadget play, they usually screwed it up, like a team which never really practiced.

That is what I'd most like to see changed in the team, the Steelers lacked innovation and discipline under Tomlin.

 

[egp320i]

Mccarthy, 62 and pittsburgh native.......interesting pick

has not been a coach for many years, last with dallas

 

[toobfreak]

Mccarthy, 62 and pittsburgh native.......interesting pick

Lessee:

1. Pittsburgh native so "one of the boys", a safe bet kind of like how they though Pitt QB Kenny Pickett would be.
2. Ten years OLDER than Mike Tomlin, so not likely a high energy move.

Mike might be explained as a safe intermediary coach to carry the team through a few years of rebuild while they continue to search for a solution to their QB problem, hoping maybe that will buy them a few years to keep searching for a younger up and coming coach to carry the team in the long term.

 

[egp320i]

Lessee:

1. Pittsburgh native so "one of the boys", a safe bet kind of like how they though Pitt QB Kenny Pickett would be.
2. Ten years OLDER than Mike Tomlin, so not likely a high energy move.

Mike might be explained as a safe intermediary coach to carry the team through a few years of rebuild while they continue to search for a solution to their QB problem, hoping maybe that will buy them a few years to keep searching for a younger up and coming coach to carry the team in the long term.

basically a temp fix, another year of making the playoffs and out

this totally goes against the whole history of coaches stay for 20 years or so

 

[toobfreak]

basically a temp fix, another year of making the playoffs and out
this totally goes against the whole history of coaches stay for 20 years or so

Yeah, but for me, an entirely predictable move not in the least surprising to me as my impression of owner Rooney Junior is that the guy is an idiot with no acumen for running a football team other than he was just born into owning it, just like his granddaddy's business.

And just one more reason to give even less shits about the Steelers--- two seasons ago, I saw this coming and during one game almost just turned off the TV and stopped watching.

I guess it is just a Pittsburgh thing now, the "Steel City"--- so built up on reputation momentum from many great years of Hockey and Football and Baseball that first came Bob Nothing with his Pirates team the laughing stock of Baseball because the guy knows he can still make a profit there running a crap team, the hockey has been so-so for years, and really, other than the first few years Tomlin took over as he was still running with the great team that Cowher left him after winning a SuperBowl, for most of the past two decades now, the Steelers have fairly sucked because they went woke.

And hiring back ex-Steeler and Pittsburgh native McCarthy as the new HC is just another woke move. It was the safe bet that Rooney at least knew is not likely to blow up in his face.