Dick LeBeau Explains Why Steelers Fans Are Absolutely Wrong About Mike McCarthy

The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking like a much different organization now that Mike Tomlin is no longer the head coach. After nearly two decades of continuity, Pittsburgh has turned the page and handed the keys to 62-year-old Mike McCarthy, who arrives with one clear mission, ending the franchise’s long and frustrating playoff drought. The Steelers have not won a postseason game since the 2016 season, and after years of early exits and stagnant finishes, the idea of winning a playoff game in the first year under a new head coach initially felt far-fetched to many.

Not everyone was on board with the hire. A sizable portion of Steelers fans pushed hard for a younger head coach and a complete organizational reset, hoping for a modern overhaul rather than another veteran voice. That is not exactly what Pittsburgh chose. But as McCarthy has started filling out his coaching staff and laying out his vision, the tone around the hire has slowly shifted. What was once viewed as a safe, uninspiring move is now generating cautious optimism across Steeler Nation, even if skepticism still remains.

That optimism received a major boost this weekend from one of the most respected voices in franchise history. Former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, a Hall of Fame coach and architect of some of Pittsburgh’s greatest defenses, publicly endorsed the McCarthy hire on a recent interview with WMBS Radio, calling it a winning move rooted in experience and growth. 

"I think he's an excellent coach. He's had a lot of good success, a lot of good experience," LeBeau said during his time speaking on the WMBS' George Von Benko on Saturday. "Most of coaching is your own personal experience and learning from your mistakes. Like it is for anybody that does any job. That first or second year you're on that job, you're probably not going to be as good at it as if you've been on it for 20 years. And I think that McCarthy certainly has the experience and the track record to know what to do."

Coming from someone with LeBeau’s credibility, those comments carry serious weight and may be enough to push even the loudest critics toward believing that McCarthy could be the coach who finally gets the Steelers back to winning playoff football.

McCarthy does have plenty of experience. He began coaching in the NFL in 1993 as an offensive quality control assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs. From 2006 to 2018, McCarthy served as head coach of the Green Bay Packers, where he led one of the league’s most storied franchises to sustained success. He followed that up by coaching the Dallas Cowboys from 2020 through 2024. 

Steelers Legend Believes Pittsburgh Ends Playoff Drought In Year 1 Under Mike McCarthy

McCarthy has clearly spent decades working with high-profile, tradition-rich organizations, and LeBeau believes that background is a massive boon for Pittsburgh. 

"I also think that the Steelers' roster is pretty strong," LeBeau said. "Like most NFL teams, a couple of players in the right area can make a whole lot of difference. I'm very optimistic for the Steelers. I think that we get a couple breaks and get a couple spots filled in there that can put us over the top. We'll be right back winning those playoff games this year."

LeBeau predicting that Pittsburgh will win playoff games in the 2026 season may sound bold, but it speaks volumes about how strongly he believes in McCarthy.

Only time will tell if that confidence is justified, but hearing a former franchise legend who has witnessed so much success speak this emphatically about McCarthy is undeniably exciting for Steelers fans.

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