The 2026 offseason will be one of the more intriguing ones that the Pittsburgh Steelers will have had in a long time. After 19 seasons, there will be a new head coach, and the options are endless. The team could go for another defensive mind with a modern twist, or it could go against its own traditions and take an offensive coach to make life easier on the future quarterback. There are young guys and older coaching veterans that could come in. It will be hard to find a replacement for Mike Tomlin, but the potential is sky-high.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin roams the practice field as his team works out during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
One option that many fans have called for is Curt Cignetti, the current head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers. He has led the team from being irrelevant and forgotten to being one of the greatest single-season powerhouses in college football. The hope for Steeler Nation is that he could that ability to turn around a lower-level program like that and do the same at the professional level.
However, Cignetti has spoken against going to the NFL, and he officially shut those rumors down once and for all before his team competes in the National Championship Game.
Indiana’s Curt Cignetti asked if he would consider NFL job: “I’m not an NFL guy. I made that decision a long time ago. I’ve always been a college football guy”
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 17, 2026
Cignetti made sure that all nine teams with a head coach vacancy know that there is absolutely no chance that he bails from Indiana to go to the NFL, including Pittsburgh. He is more than happy with staying in a spot where he is thriving, as there is always the chance that he could lead the next collegiate dynasty despite NIL deals causing more parity in Division 1 sports.
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Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti wanders the sideline during a game against the Oregon Ducks.
During the season, Cignetti signed an eight-year extension worth $93 million total for the Hoosiers. Why would he turn that down to go to a level football that he has no experience, especially after rebuilding the program at Indiana? It makes perfect sense that the 64-year-old would want to stay where he is beloved and keep all that money he is slated to make.
Steelers Missing Out On Cignetti May Be A Blessing In Disguise
Coaching in the NFL is very difficult, and it's hard for a college coach to make that transition without any prior NFL coaching experience. In fact, there have been zero coaches that have been successful in that endeavor in the 21st century. It's definitely a process to coach in the NFL, and at 64 years old, why would Cignetti want to start that process now when he is happy and successful at his current spot?
Cignetti's angry, no nonsense style is a better fit for the college level anyways. Having that kind of mentality works with these young students that will most likely be out of the program in a year or two due to the transfer portal and NFL Draft. Unless you earn the respect of your players very quickly, that kind of coaching does not work well in the NFL, as numerous coaches have failed when trying to coach like he does, but then immediately thrive in the NCAA.
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University of Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban claps on the sideline during a home game.
There have also been rumors about the Steelers hiring Marcus Freeman, the head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. However, he has also spoken out against making an immediate leap to the professional level. With these two men saying no to Pittsburgh, the organization will be able to avoid the trap of hiring from the collegiate levels and get the franchise a high-end coach that knows the NFL very well.
What do you think about Cignetti rejecting the idea of coaching in the NFL? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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