For the first time in almost two decades, the Pittsburgh Steelers are searching for a new head coach. Mike Tomlin stepped down after the team suffered another disappointing playoff loss.
The team has interviewed or plans to interview several candidates. However, one Super Bowl-winning coach is now “considered a strong candidate” for the job, according to one NFL insider.
Mike McCarthy Receiving Interest from Steelers
Tomlin will go down as one of the best coaches of his generation. The longtime coach compiled a 201-126-2 overall record with the Steelers and won Super Bowl 43 over the Arizona Cardinals.
To replace Tomlin, the team could bring in another coach with a Super Bowl win. NFL insider Tom Pelissero is reporting that Mike McCarthy will interview with the Steelers on Wednesday.
“McCarthy was a candidate for the Titans before withdrawing Monday morning and has turned down other inquiries. He’s focused on Pittsburgh, where he’s considered a strong candidate,” Pelissero explained.
Super Bowl-winning coach Mike McCarthy will interview Wednesday with the Steelers, per sources.
McCarthy was a candidate for the Titans before withdrawing Monday morning and has turned down other inquiries. He’s focused on Pittsburgh, where he’s considered a strong candidate. pic.twitter.com/jJBPWCp4Sv
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 20, 2026
McCarthy was most recently the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys from 2020 to 2024. In that time, McCarthy compiled a 49-35 record with a 1-3 record in the postseason.
In 2024, McCarthy’s Cowboys finished No. 23 in PFSN’s NFL Offense Impact Metrics and No. 22 in Defense Impact Metrics. The team went 7-10, and McCarthy was fired after the season.
McCarthy is best known for his time as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers. McCarthy held that role from 2006 to 2018, compiling a 125-77-2 record and one Super Bowl win (over the Steelers).
The veteran coach makes sense in Pittsburgh due to his local ties. McCarthy was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area and even coached for the Pittsburgh Panthers at the beginning of his career.
If McCarthy was the Steelers’ choice, they’d be replacing one Super Bowl coach with another. Unlike Tomlin, though, McCarthy is an offensive-minded coach.
Steelers Have Big Shoes to Fill Going Forward
It will not be easy for the Steelers to replace Tomlin. The coach famously never had a losing season, which is unheard of, considering even the best coaches have down seasons.
However, Tomlin ultimately didn’t have enough postseason success. The Steelers have not won a playoff game since the 2016 season, and clearly, the hope is that the next coach will get the team to take that next step.
So far, the team has interviewed a mix of young coordinators, including Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula and previous head coaches. It will be interesting to see whether the team decides to go with a proven coach or pursue a youth movement.
