The Pittsburgh Steelers are bringing in the hometown head coach for 2026 and beyond. The team is locking in Mike McCarthy.
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NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported the news on Saturday afternoon while citing sources. He noted that the 62-year-old McCarthy will have the opportunity to coach the team for which he grew up cheering.
This marks only the fourth head coach since the 1969 season. Chuck Knoll coached from 1969 until 1991. Bill Cowher coached from 1992 until 2006. Mike Tomlin coached from 2007 until he stepped down at the end of this season.
All three of these coaches delivered championships to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Knoll won four while working with quarterback Terry Bradshaw (1974-75, 1978-79). Cowher won one Lombardi Trophy with Ben Roethlisberger under center (2005). Tomlin won one Lombardi Trophy, also with Roethlisberger (2008).
McCarthy brings a championship-winning pedigree to the Steelers. He coached the Packers to a win in the Big Game to close out the 2010 season. Green Bay defeated Pittsburgh to hand Tomlin his first Super Bowl loss.
The veteran coach has been in charge of two franchises for a total of 18 seasons. He coached the Packers from 2006 until 2018 while posting a win-loss record of 125-77-2. The Packers went 10-8 in the playoffs with one Super Bowl win.
The Packers fired McCarthy late in the 2018 season. He sat out of football for one season and then took over as head coach of the Cowboys in 2020. He spent five seasons in Dallas and coached the team to a 49-35 record. This includes three consecutive 12-win seasons.
One downfall for McCarthy was the postseason. Like numerous coaches before him, he could not get the Cowboys beyond the divisional round. The NFC East team went 1-3 in the playoffs during his tenure.
The Steelers, who won the AFC North with a 10-7 record, are the sixth team to hire a new head coach after a turnover-heavy season.
The Giants hired former Ravens coach John Harbaugh, the Falcons hired former Browns coach Kevan Stefanski, the Titans hired former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, the Dolphins hired former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, and the Ravens hired former Chargers DC Jesse Minter.
The only teams with openings now are the Browns, Bills, Cardinals, and Raiders.
