Longtime Steelers Coach Bill Cowher Weighs In on Mike McCarthy Hiring

The Steelers made a decision in their search for a new head coach this weekend as the news broke Saturday that Pittsburgh planned to hire Mike McCarthy to replace Mike Tomlin. It’s always a notable development when the Steelers hire a coach because of the runway those coaches are usually afforded; Pittsburgh has seen only three coaches man the sideline in the last 57 years of Steelers football. While McCarthy likely won’t stick around for the same 20 seasons Tomlin did, the 62-year-old should be given plenty of time to get the Steelers back in contention.

One of his other predeccesors believes he’s the right man for the job. On Sunday, while on site to cover the Broncos-Patriots AFC championship game, longtime Steelers coach Bill Cowher weighed in on the decision to hire McCarthy. In short: he’s a fan. Cowher believes McCarthy’s offensive background will help fix the inconsistency Pittsburgh’s offense has suffered over the last few years and pair well with the defensive talent already in the building.

“I really like this hire for this reason,” Cowher said on CBS. “He’s an offensive-minded guy. Everywhere he’s been. He grew up under Marty Schottenheimer so he understands teh value of running the football. He coached Joe Montana. He coached Brett Favre. He coached Aaron Rodgers. He coached Dak Prescott. Everywhere he’s been he’s uplifted the offense. If you look at the Pittsburgh Steelers right now, if there’s been inconsistencies in the last recent years, it’s been the instability of having a reliable offense. They got defensive guys, they can sack the quarterback, they can create eturnovers. I like where they’re at. He also walks into that room with credibility. I like what they did. He’ll put together a good staff right here. And, oh yeah, he’s from Pittsburgh, too. That doesn’t make it bad. He knows the tradition, he knows what the expectation is, he knows what that fanbase is all about. He’s a Yinzer. I think it’s a very good hire for the Pittsburgh Steelers.”

"I really like this hire ... everywhere he's been he's uplifted the offense."@CowherCBS on the Steelers hiring Mike McCarthy as next head coach. pic.twitter.com/21OX8wZ3wm
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 25, 2026

McCarthy will begin his Steelers tenure with a 174-112-2 record over 18 seasons as an NFL head coach. While his teams have suffered their share of postseason struggles, especially after he led the Packers to a Super Bowl win in 2010, McCarthy boasts a track record of consistent success throughout his stops. That was clearly appealing to Pittsburgh, as well as the offensive experience he brings like Cowher mentions.

The big difference for McCarthy with the Steelers compared to his Packers and Cowboys tenure? The quarterback position. McCarthy took over in Green Bay while Favre was under center and rolled right into the Rodgers era. Then he went to Dallas where Prescott had already established himself as a top-10 QB in the NFL. As it stands right now the Steelers have no idea who will be under center for McCarthy’s first season on the sideline. A Rodgers return might be in the cards but the 42-year-old’s best days are clearly far behind him. If he does not come back Pittsburgh will have to decide whether McCarthy can make something work with the current quarterback room of Mason Rudolph and Will Howard or go aggressively hunting for a new starter in 2026.

Many different factors at play, and much must be figured out before the new season kicks off next September. But the Steelers have Cowher in their corner on the McCarthy hiring, that much is clear.

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