Mike Tomlin recently informed the Pittsburgh Steelers that he is stepping down as their head coach following another early exit from the NFL Playoffs. He has spent 19 years in his position and has never had a losing season, so the franchise has big shoes to fill following his departure. They are apparently looking mostly on the defensive side of the ball for his replacement.
Who Are the Steelers Targeting To Replace Mike Tomlin As Their New Head Coach?
The Steelers have incredibly had just three head coaches dating all the way back to 1969, with Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher preceding Tomlin. Something that all three of them have in common is that they were defensive coaches with other franchises before being named the head coach in Pittsburgh.
The legendary franchise appears to be leaning towards a similar strategy during the 2026 NFL offseason as they take on the difficult task of replacing Tomlin. They have reportedly requested an interview with seven coaches so far this year, and six of them are currently defensive coordinators, according to Steelers beat writer Nick Farabaugh.
And Packers DC Jeff Hafley.
7 requests, 6 DCs. https://t.co/JGnlJZ9UeC
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) January 15, 2026
Of their seven interview requests, only Los Angeles Rams passing game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase, who works under head Sean McVay, is an offensive coach. The other six are all currently employed as defensive coordinators, theoretically continuing their trend of having massive success as a franchise by hiring defensive-minded head coaches.
Their trio of coaching legends were all also interestingly hired in Pittsburgh as first-time head coaches, so this may be another trend to keep an eye on as the Steelers seek to replace Tomlin. Just Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has previous experience as a head coach from their list of candidates, but he also spent a year as a senior defensive assistant with the Steelers.
If they are, in fact, seeking a first-time head coach with a defensive background to continue their successful trend, this leaves just Jeff Hafley, Ejiro Evero, Jesse Minter, Chris Shula, and Anthony Weaver as their five current candidates that fit the description. The Rams’ defensive coordinator, the grandson of legendary head coach Don Shula, may be the most interesting candidate from this list.
The Rams’ defense ranked fifth among all teams in PFSN’s Impact Rankings for this year, just one spot lower than Flores’ Vikings and three spots higher than Minter’s Los Angeles Chargers. All three ranked higher than Pittsburgh at 16th, which is notable due to their defensive focus in the search for a new head coach.
