The head coach search

[Drink IRON City]

Maybe Mike McCarthy would like to come back home?

Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is currently
a hot commodity in the NFL coaching market for the 2026 season, interviewing with teams like the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans,


NFL coach Mike McCarthy is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; he was born and raised in the city's Greenfield neighborhood, grew up a big Steelers fan, and has strong family ties to the area, even starting his coaching career at the University of Pittsburgh

If he’s such a big Steeler fan, why the **** did he let his Packers beat his favorite team in the SB??

My opinion..,no. Too old and too fat.

HARD pass, NFL is changing fast and need a younger mind to follow.

McCartney is a near mirror of the Tomlin, why switch?

Bring in new entire staff.



Salute the nation

 

[slashsteel]

Here's a question , do you think the next coach, whoever it will be, will be here for the next 10, 15, or 20 years? Or do you think the owners will be quicker to pull the plug on an underachieving coach?

Depends on if the same Rooney is running the ship IMO.

 

[Drink IRON City]

I asked A I to look at the coaches production;

The Most Productive Options: Side-by-Side​

Candidate	Why They are "Most Productive"	The Stats to Back It Up
Klint Kubiak(Seahawks OC)	Modern NFL Efficiency: He has a "Midas Touch" for quarterbacks and high-scoring offenses in the current NFL climate.	In 2025, his Seattle offense finished Top 10 in Points and #3 in Passing Success Rate (51.6%). He also led the league in Red Zone TD % (67.2%) with the 49ers.
Curt Cignetti(Indiana HC)	The "Turnaround" King: He has literally never failed. He takes losing programs and makes them champions instantly.	He has an 88.2% winning percentage over the last 4 years. He took a 3-9 Indiana team and went 15-0 in 2025, winning the Big Ten and Rose Bowl.
Brian Flores(Vikings DC)	Elite Defensive Turnaround: He is the most successful "pure defensive" mind available with prior HC experience.	He took the Vikings defense from 31st to 16th in one year, then to 3rd overall in 2025. His units led the NFL in interceptions (24) this past season.

---

The Deep Dive: Who wins the "Success" argument?​

1. The Case for Klint Kubiak (NFL Success)​

Kubiak is the most productive at solving the specific "Passive Steelers" problem. His units don't just score; they are efficient. This year, his Seahawks offense was one of the best at winning the 4th Quarter because of his "heavy run" scheme that sets up deep shots.

• Key Success: He took Sam Darnold—a veteran many had given up on—and made him a Pro Bowler in a single season.

2. The Case for Curt Cignetti (Career Productivity)​

If "productive" means "winning games," Cignetti is in a league of his own.

• The Record: Across IUP, Elon, James Madison, and Indiana, he has a career record of 134-36.
• The "Pittsburgh" Factor: He was a GA at Pitt and his dad coached for the Steelers. He knows the city’s expectations better than anyone. He is the most productive "program builder" on the list.

3. The Case for Chris Shula (The "Rising Star" Success)​

While he has less "time" as a coordinator, his production with the Rams' young defense was incredible. He turned a group of rookies into the #5 Red Zone defense in the NFL. He is productive at developing talent quickly—something the Steelers' aging defense desperately needs.

GREAT post slash, thank you.

You pet named your AI one time…….. what was the name again…….. I liked it at the time.



Salute the nation

 

[slashsteel]

GREAT post slash, thank you.

You pet named your AI one time…….. what was the name again…….. I liked it at the time.



Salute the nation

IZ

 

[Badcat]

HARD pass, NFL is changing fast and need a younger mind to follow.

McCartney is a near mirror of the Tomlin, why switch?

Bring in new entire staff.



Salute the nation

What does an ex-Beetle have to do with the NFL?

 

[slashsteel]

What does an ex-Beetle have to do with the NFL?

Well they might crawl around in the locker room or on the field grubbing when least expected. Those annoying little *******.

I will say once a beetle always a beetle IMO.

 

[Drink IRON City]

What does an ex-Beetle have to do with the NFL?

He started out coaching in the European league, but felt his name was what people saw and not his ability.

He changed it to McCarthy once he crossed the puddle to coach American football.





Salute the nation

 

[Litos]

What does an ex-Beetle have to do with the NFL?

tell him to Get Back to where he once belonged

 

[deljzc]

We kind of know the Rooney's modus operendi on this.

1. Pro Experience rather than College experience.
2. Young coordinator
3. Maybe a former head coach but unlikely

The problem is really how much nepotism should be reflected into our opinion of coaches. Are Kubiak and Shula truly unique coaching talents or have they been getting opportunities only because of name recognition and connections.

We've talked ad nauseum way back when about nepotism in the NFL. It's insane and seems to go on and on and on (I think Pete Carroll was partially fired because he hired his son to be O-line coach).

I have always liked Stefanski. You could say he comes from nepotism as well as his father was a GM in the NBA, but I kind of LIKE that type of nepotism. He might have a decent concept of how to build a roster with actual constraints.

I don't know. We are kind of stuck with nepotism and connections being the driving factor in coaching opportunites. I doubt the Steelers go outside the good old boys network on this one but I also think the Steelers are going to be the slowest and most cuatious to hire someone.

Stefanski will likely be gone before we make a decision or interview everyone in the playoffs we want. I think he's out.

I don't think we rehash Salah, McCarthy, Spagnola, McDaniel, Nagy, Klingsbury, Smith or Flores. I just don't. I think Shaw, Anarumo, Burke and Joseph are too old.

It's the young coordinators:

Joe Brady, Age 36 - Offense (Sean Payton style west coast)
Klint Kubiak, Age 38 - Offense (Shanahan, zone running, west coast style passing game)
Klayton Adams, Age 42 - Offense (heavy run first vertical pass game)
Mike Kafka, Age 38 - Offense (Andy Reid west coast)
Mike LeFleur, Age 38 - Offense (Shannahan/McVay) - Younger Brother to Matt LeFleur
Davis Webb, Age 30 (Sean Payton style offense) - probably a year or two away
Declan Doyle, Age 30 (Sean Payton, Bears OC) - like Webb, probably a year or two away
Grant Udinski, Age 30 (Jax OC, Kevin O'Connell tree)

Jesse Minter, Age 42 - Defense (Harbaughs/Ravens tree, Zone 3-4 defense)
Jeff Hafley, Age 45 - Defense (attacking 4-3, Packers) - Might be too "college" for the Rooneys as he recently HC of Boston College and might be too old
Anthony Camanile, Age 43 - Defense (attacking 4-3, very similar and coached with Hafley)
Chris Shula, Age 39 - Defense (3-4 zone heavy, McVay/Wade Phillips

If we are leaning defense again, there aren't a lot of "young Mike Tomlins or Bill Cowhers" that I see in the low 30's ready to make the leap (at least no one the internet cares to discuss). We might really surprise this year.