The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a somewhat surprising decision on their next head coach.
The Steelers are finalizing a deal to hire Mike McCarthy as their new coach, as first reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. This will be the third head coaching stop of McCarthy’s career.
Head coaching searches have been rare for the Steelers, and this hire certainly breaks the mold. Pittsburgh previously hired young assistants in the form of Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin, but McCarthy is a 62-year-old from outside the organization. That hire somewhat defies expectations based on how the Steelers have handled business previously. Indeed, McCarthy is the first outside head coach hire the Steelers have made since 1965.
Mike McCarthy is the first head coach hired by the Steelers with previous head coaching experience since Mike Nixon got the gig in 1965.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) January 24, 2026
For McCarthy, this will be a dream job. He is a Pittsburgh native who grew up rooting for the Steelers and will now get to coach them. He will be tasked with keeping an aging Steelers team competitive, and potentially developing a quarterback for the future, whether that is Will Howard or someone from outside of the organization.
McCarthy is 174-112-2 in his career with Green Bay and Dallas. He won a Super Bowl with the Packers and reached the playoffs in 12 of his 18 seasons as an NFL head coach.
McCarthy’s hiring will also add some intrigue to Aaron Rodgers’ future. Rodgers played under McCarthy in Green Bay, and there has been speculation that McCarthy is the only coach who might be able to convince Rodgers to spend another season in Pittsburgh.
