History Should Have Steelers Excited and Scared for Mike McCarthy

PITTSBURGH -- Coaches taking over a new team is a tale as old as time in the NFL, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are experiencing that dizzying sensation for the first time in two decades. What was initially a sense of panic following Mike Tomlin stepping down has been replaced with a renewed feeling of optimism as Mike McCarthy begins his first year as the head coach of his hometown squad.

After the dust settled from McCarthy's hiring and the Steelers added a few key pieces to begin free agency, that hopefulness is suddenly warranted. The organization maintains that the goal is to win in the postseason, and the roster moves so far support that goal. The odds have quickly improved for McCarthy and the Steelers to make some noise in his debut campaign.

But is history on his side? The league has watched mutliple high-caliber coaches begin with new NFL teams to varying degrees of success, but it should give the Steelers a range of expectation for year one of the Mike McCarthy Era.

Reasons for Hope

There have been a couple of veteran coaches since 2000 who have found some success in their debut seasons. One is former Steelers defensive back Tony Dungy. He took over the Indianapolis Colts in 2002, and led the team to a 10-6 regular record and a playoff berth.

A decade later, Andy Reid transitioned from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Kansas City Chiefs with great success. The Chiefs went 11-5 in their first year under Reid, and more success came after that foundational season.

Jan 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy speaks at a press conference introducing him as the next head coach of the Steelers at PNC Champions Club at Acrisure Stadium.. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

A Tough Pill for Steelers to Swallow

The ugly truth is that veteran head coaches are a gamble. Sometimes, they hit the ground running and find success.

Sometimes, they don't. Even the best and most-respected coaches sometimes struggle out of the gate.

Look at Bill Belicheck, widely regarded as the best coach in NFL history. After an up-and-down run with the Cleveland Browns, he took over the New England Patriots in the early 2000s. His first season with the Pats was a swing-and-a-miss, with the team going 5-11.

What about Super Bowl winner Sean Payton? He led the New Orleans Saints to the Lombardi Trophy, and was traded to the Denver Broncos in 2023, but it wasn't a championship effort during his debut in the Mile High City. The Broncos went 8-9.

The same thing happened with coaches like Jeff Fisher, Tom Coughlin and Pete Carroll. All three had established careers when they took on new opportunities. Each coached their team to losing records in year one.

The North Star Examples

Just four coaches in the history of the NFL have led a team to a Super Bowl win in their first year with the team. Two of them were first-time head coaches in the 1970s, and two were well-established coaches who led their new teams to the ultimate prize since 2000.

The first was polarizing coach Jon Gruden in 2002. He took over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad and brought them to the Lombardi Trophy. They were a team on the verge already under their previous had coach, Tony Dungy, but Gruden pulled all the right strings en route to the Super Bowl victory.

Thirteen years later, Gary Kubiak took over the Denver Broncos, hoping to guide Peyton Manning to one final Super Bowl run.

That's exactly what happened, as the Broncos' defense carried the organization to championship glory.

The Steelers believe they will be on the right side of this conversation when the 2026 season is all said and done. With McCarthy in charge, the Steelers are aiming for big things in their first year together.

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