There had been growing traction between the Pittsburgh Steelers and longtime NFL coach Mike McCarthy, who interviewed for the team’s head coaching vacancy earlier this week. On Saturday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, that interest became official, with McCarthy set to become Pittsburgh’s next head coach.
McCarthy’s most recent coaching stint came with the Dallas Cowboys, where he spent five seasons before being fired following the 2024 season, largely due to a lack of postseason success during his tenure.
His most notable run, however, came from 2006 to 2018 with the Green Bay Packers, where he won a Super Bowl in 2011 with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback — a pairing that could potentially be reunited if Rodgers elects to continue playing and re-signs with Pittsburgh.
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Despite that connection, the Steelers reportedly did not hire McCarthy with the sole intention of bringing back Rodgers. The move has drawn mixed reactions, including from outspoken Steelers fan and ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith, who commented on the hiring.
Record-wise, good hire,” Smith said. “But is that really going to change the culture of the Steelers — especially if that QB room doesn’t get fixed??? That’s the question.”
McCarthy is 62 years old, and some believed the Steelers should have gone in the direction of a younger candidate and embraced more of a rebuild.
That said, McCarthy’s ties to Pittsburgh run deep — he’s from the city and has long admired the Steelers. Now, he’ll get the opportunity to coach an organization that has never fired a head coach and has had just three others since 1970.
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