The decision made by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the coming weeks will launch a brand new generation of football in the Steel City. When a fan thinks of how the team has been operated since the 1970s, there are pretty much only three eras. Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin put together stability that has almost never been seen in the professional sports world. Now, as the franchise searches for its fourth head coach since 1969, a lot of the pressure will fall on Art Rooney II to find someone who can be around for a long time, backing up the organization's incredible history.
Gene Puskar / Associated Press
Steelers Team President and Owner Art Rooney II stands on the field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as the team gets ready to play in a professional football game.
The Steelers had put in plenty of interview requests as of Friday evening, but more should be coming as the team has plenty of vetting to do. Without a franchise quarterback, it's going to be hard to sell rising coaches on the idea of coming to the Steel City. Then again, the new leader in the locker room will have time to work that out because he won't be one-and-done. Pittsburgh has a loyalty trait to fall back on if there is pause from a top candidate.
The organization has yet to put an interview request in for anyone over the age of 50. This speaks volumes, hinting at the fact that Rooney and co. want another coach who can be around for two decades. It's hard to get a grasp on which guys could be the favorites; however, there is no doubt that it is going to be a tedious process that lasts for a little bit.
On Friday, top NFL insider Mike Garafolo joined The Anthony Gargano Show and went into detail about the available gigs around the league. Two specific names came into play when the Steelers were brought up, and it seems as if fans may be closer to getting a bright offensive mind to run the show.
"I think Pittsburgh is going to look for a young coordinator," Garafolo said. "Nate Scheelhaase has been a name that has been mentioned consistently. I know everybody says, 'Oh defense.'"
It is important to note that Garafolo saying that Nate Scheelhaase's name is being mentioned often is not because he is online reading social media posts from fans. He has his ear to the ground, and believes there is smoke regarding the 35-year-old and Pittsburgh.
Then again, there have only been two coaches requested to interview that have backgrounds on offense. One of the more intriguing defensive names is Brian Flores, who spent a year with the Steelers as a senior defensive assistant back in 2022. Garafolo noted that he could absolutely be the guy due to his familiarity and relationship with the franchise.
"I think [Brian Flores] will be in the mix there as well. I think Flores is going to be in the mix in Las Vegas, too, as well," Garafolo said.
Overall, it seems as if one of the league's top insiders is very focused on two young coordinators when it comes to the Steelers, Flores, at 44, has previous head coaching experience, while making the decision to hire Scheelhaase would be almost as bold as it was when the team hired Tomlin nearly 20 years ago.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Former Steelers defensive assistant Brian Flores stands on the field as the team practices at the UPMC Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, PA.
Scheelhaase is a very fascinating coach because of his quick rise to being a candidate for one of the league's 32 most precious jobs. Operating as the passing game coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams and Sean McVay is a very impressive thing to accomplish at 35 years of age. He would without a doubt be in line for the offensive coordinator role in Los Angeles if Mike LaFleur ended up getting a top job, but it appears as if Scheelhaase may already be in line for his own.
Steelers Would Be Taking Calculated Risk With A Scheelhaase Hire
The best coaches get the most out of their players. While not many fans in Pittsburgh knew Scheelhaase's name two weeks ago, it doesn't seem to matter. The fact that he is a member of the McVay tree and has closely worked with the mastermind since 2024 is already enough for the NFL to be buzzing about his name. It'd be a big swing, but it could be something that the organization needs to do to finally turn the page on the strict defensive mindset.
AP Photo / Kyusung Gong
Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase throws the ball before an NFL preseason football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif.
Do you think the Steelers' top two candidates are Scheelhaase and Flores? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation