Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers are searching for a head coach for the first time since 2007 and just the fourth time since 1969, as head coach Mike Tomlin resigned on Tuesday,
Steelers president Art Rooney II will lead the search, along with assistance from general manager Omar Khan, and they expect the process to take several weeks. The Steelers can start in-person interviews right away with coaches from non-playoff teams, while they’ll have to wait until Jan. 19, for playoff coaches that don’t make the conference championship game, and until the week before the Super Bowl for those that do.
Rooney said the Steelers will not be constrained in what type of coach they interview, but the last three coaches they’ve hired — two Hall of Famers and one sure to join the others — were all 30-something, first-time NFL head coaches who were most recently NFL defensive coordinators. That’s a pretty strong type, and it happens to be a fairly deep pool of candidates that are similar to the coaches the Steelers have hired in the past.
• Los Angeles Rams Defensive Coordinator Chris Shula (virtual interview Jan. 16)
• Los Angeles Rams Passing Game Coordinator Nate Scheelhaase (virtual interview Jan. 16)
• Los Angeles Chargers Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter (virtual interview Jan. 17)
• Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores
• Miami Dolphins Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver
• Carolina Panthers Defensive Coordinator Ejiro Evero
• Green Bay Packers Defensive Coordinator Jeff Hafley (virtual interview Jan. 16)
• San Francisco 49ers Offensive Coordinator Klay Kubiak
The Steelers love their NFL bloodlines, though as far as I can tell, they’ve never hired a second-generation head coach. Chris Shula will be the third of his family to take the job if he lands a role. The grandson of Hall of Famer Don Shula, Chris’ father Dave Shula also coached for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Shula has quickly emerged as one of the most sought-after candidates in this hiring cycle. Now in his second season as the Rams’ defensive coordinator, he has overseen a unit that has consistently overachieved relative to personnel, blending discipline with creative pressure packages.
Shula, 39, just finished his second season a the Rams defensive coordinator. He won Super Bowl LVI there as a linebackers coach and has been with L.A. since 2017. Before that, he coach with the Chargers, and at John Carroll, Indiana and Ball State at the collegiate level.
Latest: Virtual interview scheduled for Friday, Jan. 16. Steelers requested an interview on Jan. 14.
Resume: 2024-25 Rams defensive coordinator; 2017-23 Rams pass rush coordinator, linebackers coach assistant; 2015-16 Chargers assistant; 2014 John Carroll defensive coordinator; 2011-13 Indiana assistant; 2010 Ball State assistant
Other interviews: Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals
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