Market begins to de-clutter for Steelers as they aim to zero in on top coaching candidates
In-person interviews with teams have yet to even begin for the vast majority of the leading NFL coaching candidates, but that didn’t mean Saturday didn’t bring news — most of it good — for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers were scheduled to continue virtual interviews over the weekend, but what happened among some of the other eight vacant coaching jobs continued to have an effect on the Steelers’ plans.
The recently fired coaches of the Steelers’ two biggest AFC North rivals secured new head coaching jobs, in the process eliminating two teams’ worth competition for the Steelers as they zero in on their candidates.
First, former Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh was hired by the New York Giants.
Be it because of Harbaugh’s age (63), that he was employed for the past 18 years by the Steelers’ biggest rival or some other reason, Harbaugh was not among the eight known interview requests the Steelers put in for candidates over the first four days following the resignation of Mike Tomlin.
Kevin Stefanski, likewise, was almost certainly never going to be on the Steelers’ radar. The two-time NFL coach of the year who led the Cleveland Browns from 2020-25, Stefanski was hired by the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons had requested interviews with at least four of the same candidates the Steelers had their eyes on: Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.
Hafley, according to the NFL Network, “has emerged as a frontrunner” and is “the leading candidate” to be the Dolphins’ hire. Hafley had a virtual interview scheduled with the Steelers for Friday, but it was apparently pushed back a day. The reason could be that Hafley is closing in on joining the Dolphins, but it was not immediately clear if Hafley interviewed with the Steelers on Saturday.
The Dolphins had previously done virtual interviews with Steelers targets Minter and Shula.
The Steelers reportedly conducted virtual interviews Friday with two members of the Los Angeles Rams’ coaching staff, passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhasse and defensive coordinator Chris Shula. The Steelers were to meet virtually with Minter on Saturday and have also requested interviews with San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak and Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
The Ravens over the past 24 hours confirmed virtual interviews with Scheelhaase, Shula and Minter.
Unlike most teams, the Steelers do not release on social media after they conduct a virtual interview. The team is expected to publicize its in-person interviews.
In-person interviews for teams with any individual currently employed by an NFL team are prohibited until Monday. In that sense, Harbaugh and Stefanski — because they had been fired by their former teams — had a possible advantage to get a jump on the field of candidates.
The Steelers also could be affected by if the Rams and/or 49ers win their NFC divisional round playoff games this weekend. Coaches on the staffs of teams alive for conference championship weekend remain unable to meet in person for head coaching interviews.
One coach who will soon be participating in a championship game termed himself “not an NFL guy” on Saturday. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti — who was born in Pittsburgh — said during a news conference in Miami that 26 years ago he was offered the chance to join the Green Bay Packers but instead took a job at NC State.
“That’s when I made the final decision,” Cignetti said, “(that) I’ve always been more of a college football guy.”
Cignetti was born in Pittsburgh as the son of longtime IUP coach Frank Cignetti Sr. In two seasons at Indiana, he has turned the Hoosiers from bottom-dweller into playing for the national title Monday night against Miami.
There was no reason to believe the Steelers were giving Cignetti any consideration for their head coach job.
