Predicting Steelers Head Coach Hire

Though the Pittsburgh Steelers' top candidates for their head coaching vacancy have become more clear in the second week of their search, the organization has done a solid job of keeping their cards close to their chest.

From former Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy to Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula and potentially even Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase or Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, there are a multitude of directions the franchise can go in as they look for Mike Tomlin's successor.

As Pittsburgh wrapped up in-person interviews with Flores, McCarthy and Weaver over the past few days while waiting for the potential opportunity to sit down with the likes of Shula and Scheelhaase if they so choose next week once the Rams' NFC championship game bout with the Seattle Seahawks is in the rearview mirror, it's time for the team to hone in on its preferred option in the near future and look to seal the deal.

With that, here is a prediction for who the Steelers will name their 17th head coach in team history.

Outlining the Top Names

During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Jan. 23, ESPN's Adam Schefter noted that McCarthy, Shula and Weaver currently make up the leading candidates for Pittsburgh, as noted by PennLive's Nick Farabaugh.

That doesn't necessarily mean the likes of Flores and Scheelhaase are completely out of the running, but it sure seems as though they're fighting an uphill battle at the moment.

McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native, first earned a head coaching job in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers in 2006. There, he helped develop Aaron Rodgers while winning 125 games and leading the team to the playoffs on nine occasions, which included a win in Super Bowl XLV over the Steelers in 2010.

Green Bay fired McCarthy in December 2018, though, and he did not coach during the 2019 campaign. He then landed with the Dallas Cowboys as their head coach ahead of the 2020 season.

After going 6-10 record in his first year with the franchise, McCarthy finished 12-5 for three-consecutive seasons from 2021 to 2023. He won just one playoff contest over that stretch, though, and he was let go after posting a 7-10 record in 2024.

In total, McCarthy has gone 174-112-2 over his 18 years as an NFL head coach. If the Steelers were to bring him home and hire him, Rodgers may consider reuniting with his former head coach and giving it one last go with the team in 2026.

As for his Shula, his dad, Dave, was the Cincinnati Bengals' head coach from 1992 to 1996. Furthermore, his grandfather, Don, churned out a Hall of Fame career as a head coach himself for both the Baltimore Colts (1963 - 1969) and Miami Dolphins (1970 - 1995).

This is only the second year that the youngest Shula has served as a coordinator in the NFL, earning a promotion to defensive coordinator before the 2024 season. He's impressed as Los Angeles sits one step away from Super Bowl LX, holding opposing offenses to 20.4 points per game in the regular season.

Weaver, whose leadership is "off the charts" per ESPN's Brooke Pryor, has been an assistant coach in the NFL since the 2012 campaign.

He has spent the last two years as Miami's defensive coordinator, joining the team before the 2024 campaign.

This season, the Dolphins gave up 24.9 points as well as 132.4 rushing yards and 216.4 passing yards per contest under Weaver's tutelage.

The Verdict

Though it feels like the Steelers' decision could go in several different directions still, the prediction here is that Shula will ultimately end up emerging as their top choice.

He fits the bill of being a younger defensive-minded coach at 39-years-old who isn't a former NFL head coach and hasn't built much experience as a coordinator in the league, much like Tomlin and Bill Cowher before they were hired by Pittsburgh.

The timing could get pushed back if the Rams make the Super Bowl, but Shula feels like he'll eventually emerge as the franchise's next lead man.