Sportsnaut
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a couple of legendary coaches in Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher, but a case can be made that Mike Tomlin is the best the franchise has ever had. He has the most wins in Steelers history (193) and the best win percentage (.628). Furthermore, he has been one of the NFL’s best coaches over the last two decades, especially since he has a Super Bowl victory on his resume.
However, there is no denying their last championship was close to 20 years ago, or the fact that Tomlin has not led his team to a playoff W since 2017. It is why there has been speculation for weeks that the Steelers could move on from the coach after 19 seasons. Their 30-6 Wild Card Playoff loss on Monday, which extended their playoff win drought, will only fuel that chatter.
If the PIT Steelers did decide it was time to get a new lead voice in their locker room, let’s look at five potential replacements for franchise legend Mike Tomlin.
Despite an ugly lawsuit with the NFL after being fired by the Dolphins five years ago, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has completely rebuilt his reputation. He is viewed as one of the best defensive play callers and strategists in the game after turning the Vikings into one of the better defensive units in the NFL the last two years.
He is smart, has previous head coach experience, and is still only in his early 40s. He will certainly be a top candidate if the Steelers fire Mike Tomlin.
After a disappointing three and a half year run with the New York Jets, it looked like it would take a very long time before Robert Saleh got a real chance at another head coaching job. However, in just one season back as the San Francisco 49ers‘ DC, he has become one of the hottest candidates on the market this year.
It is understandable why, because he took over a ‘9ers defense ravaged by offseason exits and season-ending injuries to top players in 2025. Yet they were one of the best units in the league and are a major reason why they are a Super Bowl contender this month. If he could handle the NYC spotlight, he could handle the pressure of replacing Tomlin.
The PIT Steelers are a franchise that likes stability. Sure, they could completely clean house of Tomlin and his staff. However, the majority of this group has still led the team to three straight 10-win seasons. So, it wouldn’t be shocking if they just made a change at the top and kept much of the current staff.
That is why offensive coordinator Arthur Smith could be an option. Although he failed, he does have previous head coach experience (with the Atlanta Falcons). Furthermore, it wasn’t long ago when he was...
