Eight Steelers coaching candidates to watch after Mike Tomlin steps down

For only the fourth time since 1969, the Steelers are searching for a new coach after Mike Tomlin decided to step down following 19 largely successful seasons in Pittsburgh. 

Whoever fills Tomlin's position will have massive shoes to fill. Tomlin's predecessors, Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher, are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame after winning a combined five Super Bowl titles. Tomlin will likely join them in Canton someday; he won the franchise its sixth Super Bowl title and had a record 19 straight non-losing seasons to begin a coaching career. 

The Steelers find themselves at a crossroads. While they are fresh off of winning the AFC North division title, this season ended with a seventh consecutive playoff loss, extending the franchise's run of seasons without a playoff victory to nine. Whoever replaces Tomlin will be tasked with helping the franchise get over that hump. 

Pittsburgh's next coach will also be tasked with helping the franchise find its long-term solution at quarterback, something that has eluded the the team since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement at the end of the 2021 season. 

Let's take a look at the possible candidates to be the Steelers' next coach. 

Chris Shula

The grandson of legendary Dolphins coach Don Shula, Chris Shula is in his ninth season on Sean McVay's Rams coaching staff. He won a Super Bowl in 2021 as the team's linebackers coach and is currently in his second season as defensive coordinator. 

The 39-year-old Shula fits the bill of the type of candidate the Steelers have gone after in the past. Pittsburgh's previous three coaches were in their 30s, had never been head coaches prior and had had success under accomplished head coaches as an assistant. And like Tomlin and Noll, Shula also has a defensive background. 

Kevin Stefanski 

Pittsburgh is obviously familiar with Stefanski as he was the coach of division rival Cleveland for the last six years. Stefanski's greatest moment as Browns coach actually came at the Steelers' expense after Cleveland upset Pittsburgh in the 2020 wild card round. 

This past season, Stefanski's Browns recorded a 10-6 upset win over the Steelers that prevented Pittsburgh from clinching the AFC North division title a week early. That win marked the fourth straight year where the Browns defeated the Steelers on their home turf. 

While his time in Cleveland ultimately didn't go as hoped, Stefanski was nonetheless a two-time Coach of the Year recipient who led the Browns to their first playoff win since 1994. At 43, he's also still one of the NFL's younger coaches. Stefanski was born in Pennsylvania and played defensive back at Penn. 

Marcus Freeman

While he has never coached in the NFL, Freeman has enjoyed considerable success since becoming Notre Dame's coach in 2021. Over that span, he has led the Fighting Irish to a 43-12 record that includes three bowl wins and an appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship in January 2025. 

A former linebacker at Ohio State, the 40-year-old Freeman has been praised as an excellent communicator and motivator during his years as a coach. Those skills would undoubtedly help endear him to a Steelers locker room that held Tomlin in the highest esteem. 

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Brad Crawford

Aden Durde 

Durde is currently the coordinator of a Seahawks defense that allowed the fewest points in the NFL during the regular season. The 46-year-old's coaching background also includes three years as the Cowboys' defensive line coach and four years on the Falcons' coaching staff. He was a coaching intern when the Falcons captured the NFC title in 2016. 

A native of Middlesex, England, Durde played professional football overseas before having brief stints with the Panthers and Chiefs. He also spent time in NFL Europe. 

Jeff Hafley 

Green Bay's defensive coordinator has been circulating as a hot name this coaching cycle. The 46-year-old has a diverse coaching background that includes time at the college and pro levels. He has some familiarity with the city after serving as a defensive assistant at the University of Pittsburgh from 2006-10. 

Hafley also has previous head coaching experience after spending four seasons as Boston College's coach. While the Eagles were just 22-26 during Hafley's tenure, they did post a 7-6 record during his final season with the school that included a win the Fenway Bowl. 

Jesse Minter 

Like Hafley, the 42-year-old Minter has enjoyed success at the college and pro levels. In 2023, he served as Michigan's defensive coordinator during the school's national championship run. His background also included four years on the Ravens' defensive staff under former Baltimore coach John Harbaugh. 

Minter followed Jim Harbaugh from Michigan to Los Angeles ahead of the 2024 season. The Chargers allowed the fewest points in the NFL and were ninth in points allowed this season. Minter's path is similar to that of the Seahawks' Mike McDonald, who turned Seattle into one of the NFL's best teams in short order. 

John Harbaugh 

Oh, the oddity of the Steelers hiring the just-fired coach of their arch rival. While it seems far-fetched, Harbaugh's success and familairity with the AFC North may compel the Steelers to reach out to Harbaugh's camp. 

Like Tomlin, Harbaugh is a Super Bowl-winning coach who enjoyed a lenghty run of success with his former employer. While their careers are very simliar, Harbaugh has had more playoff success than Tomlin. In fact, his eight road playoff wins is an NFL record. 

Mike McDaniel 

This also seems like a stretch that should nonetheless be considered. McDaniel, after all, is widely considered to be one of the NFL's brightest offensive minds. That might be appealing for the Steelers given their lack of offensive success over the last several years. 

McDaniel is also young (he'll turn 43 in March), has recent head coaching experience (he went 35-33 in Miami while leading the Dolphins to consecutive playoff appearances) and is surely motivated to get another head coaching job after how things ended in Miami.