Jan 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy poses for a photo at a press conference announcing McCarthy as the new Pittsburgh Steelers head coach at PNC Champions Club at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Christian Kuntz Shares Mike McCarthy’s Epic Steelers Intro Speech

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Apr 9, 2026 3:00 PM ET

PITTSBURGH — Because of the hiring of Mike McCarthy, the Pittsburgh Steelers were able to begin their offseason programming a bit earlier than usual. That meant the entire team was in town at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex for their first introductions to McCarthy and his staff.

Whether or not that will translate to success for the Steelers in 2026 is up for debate, but it’s a starting off point. It allowed McCarthy the chance to make a first impression on his roster after a turbulent end to the 2025 campaign and an offseason filled with tons of change.

According to team long snapper Christian Kuntz, McCarthy did just that. As a fellow native of the Pittsburgh area, Kuntz knows a thing or two about the yinzer culture of western Pennsylvania. He recently shared the details of McCarthy’s introduction on The Christian Kuntz podcast, and it came loaded with a few hallmark yinzer phrases.

“It was our first day of voluntary workouts, and it was Coach McCarthy’s first day of addressing the team,” he said. “He was probably a little nervous, but he had some juice about him. And I feel like his accent even came out more than it has ever had. He used ‘jagoff,’ he was talking about Kennywood. Muth (tight end Pat Freiermuth) turned around when he said ‘jagoff,’ and looked at me and I’m smiling ear to ear. I felt like I was listening to my dad teach our team back in little league.”

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McCarthy’s Inner Yinzer Can’t Be Contained

As Kuntz’s story illustrates, McCarthy is a man born, bred and molded by Pittsburgh. Kuntz is a certified yinzer himself as a graduate of Chartiers Valley High School, just southwest of the city, and Duquesne University in downtown Pittsburgh. Alongside other local players like Jaquan Brisker, a Gateway graduate, and Joey Porter Jr., who attended North Allegheny High School, are also well aware of the accent and syntax of the Pittsburgh accent.

McCarthy is a walking embodiment of yinzer culture, and it cannot be contained. He spoke about how much this job meant to him and his family during his introductory press conference. The organization discussed publicaly how his understanding of the city and franchise’s histories played a major role in his hiring.

Even former players, like Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis, acknowledged how McCarthy is a coach that understands the traditions and culture of the Steelers.

His new roster just learned thart first-hand as well.