The Pittsburgh Steelers made major headlines this offseason when their head coach, Mike Tomlin, chose to step down after 19 incredible seasons in the Steel City.
The Steelers faced stiff competition with a record-tying 10 teams battling for some of the most elite and exciting names in professional football. Most analysts expected the Steelers to hire a young upstart as they have in the past, but they surprised everyone again by hiring a hometown hero, Mike McCarthy.
How Steelers Coach Mike McCarthy Earned the ‘Full Support’ of Key Veterans
McCarthy grew up nearby and even coached at the University of Pittsburgh when he was first starting out, yet he never returned to his hometown to coach professional football until now.
He recently did a 1-on-1 interview with former Black and Gold tackle Max Starks, who is now a member of the Steelers media team. McCarthy shared with Starks that coaching in Pittsburgh is the culmination of a lifelong dream.
Starks asked McCarthy how he plans to roll out his changes to the team, especially given that so many players are off right now. He asked McCarthy whether he was getting veterans like T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward to help him.
“It’s very important,” said McCarthy about getting the veterans on board with his plan. “This Pittsburgh Steelers team has an incredible history and tradition. We are all aware of that. But also, it does have a history of winning currently, and T.J. (Watt) and Cam (Heyward) are part of that. I had early conversations with both men. They just want a chance to win it all before their career comes to an end. So very receptive. They just want to be a part of the messaging, the new direction.
“So basically, both said, ‘Hey, coach, just tell us what you want.’ The new players are very important; the veterans get them acclimated. We’ve got the rookie class, but those veterans, they know the Pittsburgh Steeler way, and we’re just taking a little different path. So we’re not trying to change colors, we’re not getting new uniforms. We want to build off all the greatness that’s been here for decades.”
McCarthy isn’t wrong. The team does have a history of winning, thanks to Tomlin’s lack of losing seasons. Yet, he struggled to get the Steelers to win a playoff game. The last postseason game they won was after the 2016 season, when they beat a pre-Patrick Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs team.
McCarthy is often considered an offensive mastermind, and fans hope he can lead the team back to postseason success.
