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Stephen A. Smith explains why he's 'not moved' by Steelers hiring McCarthy 
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy. Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Stephen A. Smith explains why he's 'not moved' by Steelers hiring Mike McCarthy 

By Mike J. Asti  |  Last updated Jan 26, 2026 3:22 PM ET

As the Pittsburgh Steelers are transitioning from Mike Tomlin to Mike McCarthy, many are taking the time to voice their displeasure and concerns with the coaching search that resulted in an official announcement on Saturday. 

Two days later, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, a noted Steelers fan and arguably the loudest and most polarizing voice in all of sports media today, added his thoughts to the mix and unleashed on Pittsburgh.  

Stephen A. Smith isn't moved by Steelers hiring Mike McCarthy 

"I'm not moved. I'm not moved at all," responded Smith when asked about his thoughts on the hire during ESPN's "First Take."

"I'm not going to be disrespectful to Mike McCarthy and act like the man can't coach. The man has won 61% of his games. He's a Super Bowl champion. There's no doubt about that. 11-11 in the postseason. But my problem is when you look at the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chuck Noll was there for 23 years, [Bill] Cowher was there for 15 years and Tomlin is there for 19 years. And what route do you go now? You go with a 62-year-old," lamented Smith.

He then brought up McCarthy's lack of playoff success at his most recent stop in Dallas — he was 1-3 in the postseason with the Cowboys. 

"That's who you pick? It's nothing to be excited about to be quite honest with you, especially when you're still looking for your quarterback," Smith added.

Steelers fans have been saying the same things since learning the news 

Smith's sentiment has been echoed by Steelers fans everywhere since learning the news a day before the NFL's conference championship games were played, meaning Pittsburgh settled on McCarthy before even having a chance to conduct an in-person interview with top younger candidates like Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula. 

But as Smith expressed, while McCarthy has won a Super Bowl and does have a long track record of providing a consistent level of success, his resume also closely resembles Tomlin's. It's an annoyance to those who were fed up with the team's seven straight playoff losses and NFL record five consecutive blowout defeats. 

Mike McCarthy's tenure will be all about finding Pittsburgh's next QB 

Only time will tell if McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native, can win over the fan base he grew up being a part of and knows so well. Of course, and as Smith brought up, McCarthy's history in getting the most out of quarterbacks does offer some comfort for Steeler Nation. 

No matter what Smith or any other Steelers fan or media member may think, McCarthy is now at the helm, and the next question that needs to be answered is who will be his quarterback in 2026. Will he lure Aaron Rodgers, with whom he worked in Green Bay and won a Super Bowl, back for one more year in Pittsburgh? And regardless, can he get the most out of Will Howard and/or any rookie the Steelers draft in the spring?  

Mike J. Asti
Twitter/X

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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