Steelers brass have already ruled out two obvious candidates to replace Mike Tomlin as the next head coach in Pittsburgh
You can scratch two names off the list of candidates in Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a full-court press to find their next head coach. With the Mike Tomlin era in the rearview and the Steelers’ head coaching hot board heating up, Steelers owner Art Rooney II answered a ton of questions about the future of the franchise.
That, of course, includes who will be the team’s next head coach. Well, while we have a deadline for the decision, Rooney has already ruled out two obvious names to be the next head coach in Pittsburgh.
Steelers will have an external hire as their next head coach
Rooney said in his press conference on Tuesday that the next Steelers head coach will not come from the current Steelers coaching staff. He also said the decision on whether they are retained will be up to the next head coach.
Arthur Smith would be the most obvious candidate, as he is receiving head coaching interviews with the Tennessee Titans and the Arizona Cardinals. But with Smith, Teryl Austin, and the other position coaches out of the picture, the Steelers have started their first round of interviews.
Steelers’ current head coaching interview requests
Pittsburgh Steelers HC Interview Requests
- Nathan Scheelhaase, Los Angeles Rams passing game coordinator
- Chris Shula, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator
- Anthony Weaver, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator
- Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator
- Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator
Outside of Scheelhaase, all of the names on that list are defensive minds who come from, or bring with them, strong cultures. Anthony Weaver is an old-school coach who believes in physicality. Chris Shula has coached under Sean McVay and is the grandson of Don Shula. Brian Flores coached for the Pittsburgh Steelers. For more on Jesse Minter, here is Adam Holt, who contributes to Chargers coverage for A to Z Sports.
“Jesse Minter is one of the “flashy, young” candidates for head coach for this offseason. Meanwhile, his coaching style and defensive play couldn’t be more different from that mantra. They’re a gritty group who thrive on effort and communication. Minter led the NFL’s No. 1 defense in 2024, as the Bolts allowed just 17.7 points per game.
“Disguise is something that Tomlin’s staff on defense in Pittsburgh didn’t worry much about in recent seasons, even as the concept seemingly got more popular. Minter’s defenses thrive on that. They want to cause chaos for offensive linemen and quarterbacks at every opportunity, and when given the personnel upfront, his units consistently proved that to be successful. Minter is happy to overload one side of the field and then sneak pressure in elsewhere or use a defensive back to lurk where a hot read could be for the opposing QB. All in all, he’s one of the most popular defensive HC candidates on the market for a reason, and the Steelers clearly understand that.” – Holt