The Pittsburgh Steelers are hoping that new head coach Mike McCarthy can move them into the modern age of football with his analytically driven offensive mind. They have been unable to properly develop a quarterback in recent years, and they desperately need someone that can come in and unlock the potential of some of these different young passers. If that happens with McCarthy, then the team will deem the hiring a success. If not, many fans will only get angrier and louder with their disdain towards this once beloved franchise.
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New Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy on the sideline at Lambeau field in Green Bay, Wisconsin as he looks up at the replay board during his head-coaching tenure with the Green Bay Packers.
This hiring may be a step in the right direction, though. While making an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Mark Kaboly revealed a massive issue that Mike Tomlin had that McCarthy doesn't via a source.
"What I was told -- or somebody's opinion was -- Mike Tomlin just hired people," Kaboly said. "Mike McCarthy, actually, there's a rhyme behind his reason, or a reason behind his rhyme. There's a plan. Everybody has a defined role, and everybody fits somewhere. Mike [Tomlin] just, from what I was told, just hires people. 'Ok, I hired a wide receiver coach. Okay, that's it.' This guy has a role for these guys, more of a defined role, more than just, 'Hey, go coach wide receivers...' I think McCarthy looks at his coaching staff as one big unit, and I thought Tomlin might look at it as individuals."
There have been accusations that Tomlin wanted yes-men more than actual coaches with their own input. This report from Kaboly only furthers that narrative. It's no secret that Tomlin was heavily involved in both the offensive and defensive gameplan, and there were numerous reports that said he would build the schematics and gameplan out, only to have his coordinators just follow his overarching direction.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers coaches Mike Tomlin (left), Karl Dunbar (middle) and Teryl Austin (right) stand on the sideline during a home game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
The changes have already begun, as McCarthy has been implementing positions that did not exist under Tomlin, such as offensive and defensive pass game coordinators and "Chief of Staff." More positions are expected to be added to the list and filled in the coming weeks, as the new head coach is looking to build a bigger and better staff to truly help these players out with whatever they need.
One of the biggest indictments of Tomlin during his tenure was his lack of a coaching tree. It wasn't just coordinators becoming head coaches, but his assistants and position coaches rarely got interviewed for a higher role elsewhere. The only one that did get hired recently to an expanded role was Aaron Curry, who went from inside linebackers coach to just linebackers coach with the New York Jets.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith (middle) as he stands near former head coach Mike Tomlin (left) during a 2024 practice at the UPMC Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, PA.
While Tomlin was great at motivating and relating to players, his way of running day-to-day operations were seemingly severely outdated, and McCarthy has exposed that just by the current hiring process.
Steelers Need To Build Off Of Mike McCarthy's Positives For 2026
At 62 years old, it is well-known that McCarthy will not be the head coach of the Steelers for a long time. He may end up just being a one-contract guy at this point. If that is the case, the team can't try and go back to the past to what worked in the 2000s; it has to keep moving towards the present and the future with these larger coaching staffs and having analytics help, but not decide every little decision.
What do you think about the difference in how Tomlin and McCarthy hired their respective staffs? Let us know in the comments below, or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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