PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s a wild ride of speculation. It’s the NFL version of a 20-year event, the Steelers are searching for a new football coach. Get ready for a list of names that will make you upset, make you excited and make you laugh.
It’s been minutes since Mike Tomlin resigned as Steelers head coach, so we are in the early process of gathering names. There have been no interviews, but there are a number of coaches and assistants who have their names out there. We are looking to give you a wide look of names and will whittle them down as the process continues.
This happens so infrequently there aren’t any recent trends to really follow, but historically the Steelers have hired young, defensive coordinators few had ever heard of before becoming their head coach.
Chuck Noll—37-year-old Baltimore Colts defensive coordinator who at the time was the youngest coach in the NFL
Bill Cowher—34-year-old Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator with no head coaching experience
Mike Tomlin—35-year-old Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator, becoming the 9th Steelers head coach hired in his 30s
Each time the Steelers had big-name options, but ended up with defensive-minded coaches. It doesn’t mean that it will necessarily be the same, but with that as the model. Here are coaches that fit that mold
Jesse Minter, 42
· Chargers defensive coordinator and former Ravens defensive assistant from 2017-2020 (8th in NFL in points allowed at 19.8)
· Was the University of Michigan defensive coordinator for its 2023 national championship under Jim Harbaugh
Chris Shula, 39
· Rams defensive coordinator, allowed 10th most points per game at 20.9 after moving up from an assistant linebackers coach in 2017 through a series of jobs to DC in 2024
· A graduate assistant at Indiana and a 1-year defensive coordinator at John Carroll (2014), Shula started in the NFL with the Chargers in 2015 and is the grandson for Hall of Fame head coach Don Shula.
Jeff Hafley, 46
· Packers defensive coordinator and former Boston College head coach, Ohio State co-defensive coordinator and Pitt assistant who left college to coach in the NFL. Previously coached defensive backs in NFL with Tampa Bay & Cleveland
· Defense allowed 21.7 points per game (13th in NFL), allowed 29.3 points per game without injured All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons
Anthony Weaver, 45
· Has run a 3-4 defense, coached with Romeo Crennel and Rex Ryan and worked with the Jets, Bills, Browns, Texans, Ravens mostly as a defensive line coach. He was the defensive coordinator in Houston (2020) and Miami the last 2 years
There are others with defensive ties—53-year-old, AFC top-seed Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and 66-year-old Seattle Assistant head coach Leslie Frazier, who is also a former Vikings head coach.
If the Steelers wanted to buck the defensive coordinator route, several young offensive assistants are going through the coaching cycle.
Klint Kubiak, 38
· A defensive player in college, Kubiak started coaches as an offensive assistant at Texas A&M and has exclusively coached on that side of the ball including as the Seattle (current), Saints and Vikings offensive coordinators, Denver and San Francisco’s pass game coordinator.
Joe Brady, 36
· Like Mike Tomlin, Brady went to William & Mary and was the Bills offensive coordinator the last 2 years. He was also the Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator at age 31 and 32. He worked as a Penn State graduate assistant (2015-16) and LSU passing game coordinator for its 2019 national championship with Joe Burrow.
Mike Kafka, 38
· Played QB for seven teams in six NFL seasons and a year after retiring started as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Northwestern, where he was a starting quarterback. Next year hired by Kansas City and in a year became the QB coach, then passing game coordinator. Giants offensive coordinator for 4 seasons including serving as interim head coach to end the 2025 season.
Mike LaFleur, 38
· Younger brother of Packers head coach Matt, started as an offensive assistant at Elmhurst University and began in the NFL as an offensive intern with the Browns in 2014. Also worked with Atlanta and San Francisco before becoming the 49ers passing game coordinator in 2019, was the Jets offensive coordinator (2021 & 2022) before taking over that job with the Rams.
If you want the former head coaches in the coaching cycle
Brian Flores, 44
· Spent the 2022 season with the Steelers after being fired as Miami’s head coach and is currently the Vikings defensive coordinator
· Got his break with Bill Belichick and spent from 2008-18 with New England before taking over in Miami
Matt Nagy, 47
· Started his coaching career at Manheim Central HS on the other side of Pennsylvania and stayed in HS from 2001-2009 before starting as an Eagles coaching intern. He went with Andy Reid to Kansas City to become quarterbacks coach and then offensive coordinator to being hired by the Bears as head coach 9 years after coaching high school. Went back to work as the KC offensive coordinator after being fired in Chicago.
Mike McCarthy, 62
· Greenfield native and former Super Bowl champion with the Packers and five-year coach with the Dallas Cowboys. He won 185 career games, 8 fewer than Tomlin
Arthur Smith, 43
· Steelers offensive coordinator the last two seasons, Titans had requested permission to talk to him about their head coaching search. Smith was the Falcons head coach for 3 seasons, 21-30 record
Kliff Kingsbury, 46
· Started coaching at the University of Houston and after a year as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator, left to become head coach at Texas Tech at, where he set 39 records as a player. He was just 33 and coached six seasons going 35-40, but coached QBs Baker Mayfield, Davis Webb and led Patrick Mahomes to becoming a 1st round pick. Coached the Arizona Cardinals for 4 seasons (28-37, 11-6 in 2021 losing to the Rams in the 1st round of the playoffs). Last two years as the Commanders offensive coordinator
Let’s not also forget about the other available AFC North coaches John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski.