NFL Head Coach Appointment Rankings
Ranking of the NFL’s seven head coaching vacancies.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a new leader.
One of the most successful franchises in NFL history has selected Mike McCarthy, its fourth head coach in the Super Bowl era.
Unlike the previous three hires, McCarthy brings expertise on the offensive side of the ball. All three Pittsburgh coaches since 1970 (Mike Tomlin, Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll) had backgrounds on the defensive side of the ball.
McCarthy is also the only person to have served as an NFL head coach before coming to Pittsburgh. He spent 13 years with the Green Bay Packers, winning the Super Bowl in 2010 (coincidentally against his new employer, Pittsburgh). He also spent five seasons (2020-2024) with the Dallas Cowboys.
The move will close one of the most attractive jobs in the hiring cycle. Pittsburgh hasn’t been below .500 in a season since 2003 and has All-Pro talent on defense.
McCarthy is tasked with leading the team to its first playoff success in nearly a decade. Here are the winners and losers of this recruitment.
winner
mike mccarthy
Similar to the end of his last coaching tenure, McCarthy returns to the top after a year off. He currently coaches three of the most iconic teams in sports history: the Packers, Cowboys, and now the Steelers.
McCarthy inherits a talented team. His tenure in Dallas, while productive on offense, was marked by postseason disappointment as the defense was unable to raise the team’s ceiling enough. This team has talent at multiple positions defensively, but needs more direction offensively from a young offensive line. He was able to work on the offense and find a defensive coordinator he can trust to keep the ship going in the right direction on that side of the ball.
mike tomlin
Tomlin coached Pittsburgh for nearly 20 years, never ending with a losing record. His tenure was defined by stability among other outstanding player traits.
If the Steelers had hired a first-time head coach who turned things around dramatically in his first season, media members, fans and players alike might have viewed his final years in a worse light. Now, the potential for improvement may be revealed by a new, experienced head coach with a different area of expertise.
aaron rodgers
The NFL’s oldest quarterback has yet to announce whether he will return in 2026. This move by the Steelers at least establishes him as the head coach he previously worked with.
The Rodgers-McCarthy tandem’s later years in Green Bay fell short of expectations. But after spending a few years in New York, returning to familiar faces might not be the worst idea. At least McCarthy will know what to expect as the team moves forward with Rodgers’ potential retirement and succession plans.
loser
Chris Shula
Consider how iconic Shula’s name is on the Steelers. The Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator was one of multiple candidates from the ball side this hiring cycle and appeared poised for his first head coaching job.
It would also blend in with the Steelers’ tradition of hiring former defensive coaches (coordinators or positional coaches) who are younger than league average. Shura’s time has definitely come, and this seemed like an ideal marriage.
Sean McDermott
If the Steelers wanted to go to a head coach with a proven track record, McDermott might have been a strong option. He has had more postseason success than McCarthy and has played high-leverage games in the AFC playoffs.
While it might make sense for McDermott to take a year off after his late departure from Buffalo, there’s a chance Pittsburgh might have been better off waiting to interview him. A long time ago, before McDermott arrived and turned things around, Buffalo was once experiencing the longest postseason drought in the NFL.
dallas cowboys
This is contingent on McCarthy having postseason success with Pittsburgh. If McCarthy wins the AFC playoffs with this Steelers roster, it will hurt the Cowboys. Dallas had more talent than Pittsburgh at the moment, which may raise questions about the playoff strength of the Cowboys’ stars.
