Young assistants, former AFC North foes among numerous options for Steelers to replace Mike Tomlin
The Pittsburgh Steelers will undertake their first coaching search in 19 years and their third in almost 60 after Mike Tomlin stepped down Tuesday.
There’s an abundance of former head coaches and current coordinators for them to sort through. Here’s a look at 15 names who could appear on their list.
Recent reboots
Mike McDaniel
Job: Former Miami Dolphins HC; Age: 42
Could McDaniel’s quirkiness work for the Steelers? Known as an offensive innovator, McDaniel was fired as the Dolphins’ head coach after a four-year stint that produced a 35-33 record but zero playoff wins. The Yale graduate previously worked as offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.
Kevin Stefanski
Job: Former Cleveland Browns HC; Age: 43
Stefanski was twice named AP Coach of the Year during his six-year stint with the Browns but ultimately was fired this month after posting back-to-back seasons of 3-14 and 5-12. The first-time head coach was previously an assistant with the Minnesota Vikings for 14 years.
John Harbaugh
Job: Former Baltimore Ravens HC; Age: 63
Sure, seeing the Steelers’ former rival switch sides after 18 seasons in purple and black seems far fetched. Harbaugh went 180-113 with the Ravens, won a Super Bowl in 2012 and will be a hot commodity on the coaching carousel. He was fired after Baltimore lost to the Steelers in the regular-season finale.
Defensive minds
Jesse Minter
Job: Los Angeles Chargers DC; Age: 42
The Chargers allowed the NFL’s fifth-fewest yards this season in Minter’s second year at defensive coordinator. He also served as DC for the Michigan Wolverines and followed head coach Jim Harbaugh to Los Angeles. Minter’s coaching resume includes time as a defensive assistant in Baltimore. His father, Rick, is former head coach at the University of Cincinnati.
Chris Shula
Job: Los Angeles Rams DC; Age: 34
Shula hails from a football family. He is the son of Dave Shula and the grandson of Don Shula, the winningest head coach in NFL history. A Rams assistant since 2017, Chris Shula was promoted to defensive coordinator two years ago. This season, the Rams tied for seventh in the league in sacks (47), third in QB hits (66) and fifth in takeaways.
Brian Flores
Job: Minnesota Vikings DC; Age: 44
Flores, who served as a Steelers senior defensive assistant in 2022, spent the past three seasons running the Vikings defense. This year, they ranked seventh best in points allowed (333) and tied for fourth in sacks (49). Previously, Flores went 24-25 as head coach of the Miami Dolphins (2019-21) and has an ongoing discrimination lawsuit against the NFL.
Jeff Hafley
Job: Green Bay Packers DC; Age: 46
Hafley worked as a Pitt assistant from 2006-10, so he knows his way around the city. More recently, he has served as the Packers’ defensive coordinator for the past two seasons following a four-year stint as head coach at Boston College. He also has NFL stints with the Bucs, Browns and 49ers on his resume.
Robert Saleh
Job: San Francisco 49ers DC; Age: 46
Saleh’s first stint as a head coach wasn’t great. He went 20-36 in four seasons with the New York Jets and was fired five games into the 2024 season. He’s since rebounded as defensive coordinator in San Francisco, a position he also held before taking the Jets job.
Anthony Weaver
Job: Miami Dolphins DC; Age: 45
Weaver was an assistant head coach for the Baltimore Ravens before joining the Dolphins two years ago as their defensive coordinator. Miami was fourth in fewest yards allowed in 2024 before slipping to 22nd this year. He also had stints as a position coach with the Jets, Bills, Browns and Texans.
Offensive gurus
Klint Kubiak
Job: Seahawks OC; Age: 38
Kubiak helped the Seahawks earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed this season as the team’s first-year offensive coordinator. Seattle ranked third in points scored. He’s in his 12th season as an NFL assistant, including stints with the Saints, 49ers, Broncos and Vikings. His father, Gary, won a Super Bowl coaching the Broncos.
Kliff Kingsbury
Job: Former Washington Commanders OC; Age: 46
A former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, Kingsbury parted ways with Washington earlier this month after two seasons. After a good first season with the Commanders, the team went 5-12 this year, and the offense ranked 22nd in points scored. The Cardinals went 28-37-1 in four seasons (2019-22).
Mike LaFleur
Job: Los Angels Rams OC; Age: 38
The Rams had the highest-scoring offense (518 points) this season under LaFleur, the team’s third-year offensive coordinator. He previously was the OC for the Jets, following stints with the 49ers, Falcons and Browns. LaFleur’s brother, Matt, is head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
Pittsburgh roots
Mike McCarthy
Job: Former Dallas Cowboys HC; Age: 62
A native of Pittsburgh’s Greenfield neighborhood, McCarthy had stints as head coach of the Green Bay Packers (2006-18), where he won Super Bowl XLV, and the Dallas Cowboys (2020-24). His career record is 174-112-2 in 18 seasons. He went 11-11 in the playoffs, including 1-3 with the Cowboys.
College try
Marcus Freeman
Job: Notre Dame HC; Age: 40
Freeman lacks NFL coaching experience but could be an intriguing option for some. The fourth-year head coach of the Fighting Irish has a 43-12 career record and finished as the national championship game runner-up in 2024. Freeman was a fifth-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears in 2009, but a heart condition led to his retirement a year later as a player.
In-house hire
Arthur Smith
Job: Steelers OC; Age: 43
Smith’s offenses weren’t quite dynamic in his two seasons as offensive coordinator, but he does have previous head coaching experience. Smith led the Atlanta Falcons for three seasons (2021-23) and went 21-30 with no playoff appearances. This year’s offense ranked 25th in yards and 15th in points scored. He was among the candidates for the Tennessee Titans job.
