"Never": Steelers' Mike McCarthy Admits Something Just Happened In January That Wasn't Expected

The Pittsburgh Steelers were expected to go out and hire a young coach after they learned that Mike Tomlin had retired. However, they shocked and angered many people when they turned around and brought in 62-year-old Mike McCarthy to lead the team for the next five years or so. Instead of sticking with a coaching type that has worked well for them for decades, they went for a guy that has been fired twice due to his resume. That's a bold strategy, and fans will see if it pays off or not. 

Steelers fans weren't the only ones shocked about the hire. While making an appearance on Wilde & Tausch, McCarthy admitted that he didn't believe he would ever get a chance to lead his hometown team at the professional level before he actually got the call from ownership.

"I never in my wildest dreams thought that Mike Tomlin would retire," McCarthy said. "And this was an opportunity based off of history that I thought was well past me. So, when it did come available, in the conversations that led up to the interview, I just felt like this was something that was meant to be."

It is very rare that any NFL head coach gets a third chance to run a team, and it's even more rare that the Steelers have a head-coach opening. Theoretically, there was not supposed to be one, ownership admitted that it wanted Tomlin back for at least one more season. Instead, he retired the day after yet another embarrassing Wild Card loss and allowed the team to move in a different direction. 

It felt like once the Steelers got McCarthy to accept a coaching interview, they determined that they wanted him. They only had three in-person interviews, and two of them were league-mandated ones with minority coaches to satisfy the Rooney Rule. The two sides officially came to terms on a deal less than 24 hours after the final interview with Anthony Weaver, when a decision like that usually takes more time. 

McCarthy went from a guy that was on nobody's radar to most likely the only candidate that Pittsburgh was truly interested in. It seemed like he would have to keep popping on occasionally as an analyst for The Pat McAfee Show, as he had made quite a few of those already, but once his name popped up, every media station reported on how much both sides were excited to work for each other. 

Steelers Are Putting A Lot On The Line With Hire Of Mike McCarthy

It's a good thing that McCarthy grew up as a yinzer, because he knows exactly what the expectations are for him. Everything started off on the wrong foot before he even showed up to the facilities to sign his contract. He needs to show some growth from himself and for the entire team almost immediately, or else he will get the same treatment that Tomlin did in his final season as head coach in Pittsburgh. 

On a couple of occasions, Steelers fans were heard chanting "Fire Tomlin" at home games. There was at least one other home game where they allowed opposing fans to come in and chant for their team. If McCarthy can't get the team to grow like ownership hopes, those problems will definitely be coming back. He needs to prove himself quickly, or else he will get run out of town. 

What do you think about McCarthy never believing that he could be the head coach of the Steelers? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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