Steelers Most Underrated Hire is Someone They Desperately Needed

PITTSBURGH — The one certainty the Pittsburgh Steelers have regarding their new coaching staff is that it will be completely different from the previous one. Mike McCarthy is now in charge, and he’s expanded the staff working underneath him.

Part of that expansion includes coaching positions the Steelers never previously had. They hired a chief of staff, bringing in Steve Scarnecchia for the role. They also gave Joe Whitt Jr. the title of assistant head coach, something previous head coach Mike Tomlin never had during his 19 seasons.

Among all of the hires, one stands out. The team added Tim Berbenich as the game management and quarterbacks coach, and it might just be the most important and underrated addition to McCarthy’s staff.

What is a Game Management Coach?

That’s what I thought and caught my eye when I saw Berbenich’s name on the Steelers’ staff website. With other more well-known roles like quality control coaches and pass-game coordinators, this particular role isn’t quite as obvious.

But diving into coaching staffs around the NFL, this title pops up a few times. An article from The Athetic’s Jourdan Rodrigue called the small group of game management as “situational masters,” and provided a bit more context to the role.

“Teams that prioritize situational management dedicate a full-time expert to develop strategies,” she wrote. “Around timeout usage, clock management, late-down management and officiating issues: challenges, how different crews call the game, and the details — or workarounds — of certain rules.”

Teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars have a dedicated position for this work. So, too do the Dallas Cowboys. Ryan Feder, who serves in that role currently, was hired by none other than McCarthy in 2024. The Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos are among several other organizations that have their own “situational masters.”