Next Mike Tomlin? Steelers Have Head Coach Candidate to Watch

If the Pittsburgh Steelers plan on hiring someone who embodies Mike Tomlin's core qualities as their new head coach, the lead candidate in that regard seems pretty clear.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac, Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase impressed in his virtual interview with the Steelers last week while also comparing him to Tomlin.

"I'm not going to say he's the top guy because some of these candidates still have to interview with AR2, and he's the one who will make the call," Dulac wrote. "But I will say Scheelhaase was an impressive interview, which fits what other NFL people think of him. Hmmm, so was Tomlin..."

Dulac also opined that Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula as the Steelers' next head coach and Scheelhaase as his offensive coordinator "would be a pretty good package" in addition to noting that the latter "gives off that Mike Tomlin vibe in interviews."

Pittsburgh will have to wait until next week to interview Scheelhaase in-person if it so chooses since the Rams will face off against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC championship game on Jan. 25, but if he truly does remind the organization of Tomlin, perhaps his chances of landing the job have been understated thus far.

Similarities in Tomlin and Scheelhaase's Paths

The Steelers have found plenty of success in hiring younger first-time head coaches who weren't particularly notable beforehand.

That was the case with Bill Cowher, who was 34-years-old and had spent just three seasons as the Kansas City Chiefs' defensive coordinator before Pittsburgh brought him in as Chuck Noll's successor ahead of the 1992 campaign.

Tomlin was a college assistant at VMI, his alma mater, in addition to schools such as Cincinnati, Memphis and Arkansas State from 1995 to 2000, primarily serving as a wide receivers coach and defensive backs coach, before joining Tony Dungy's staff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a defensive backs coach in 2001.

Even after Dungy was fired and Jon Gruden stepped into his role, Tomlin stuck with Tampa Bay and helped the team win Super Bowl XXXVII in the 2002 playoffs.

Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin leaves the field following an AFC Wild Card Round loss to the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Tomlin's lone year as a defensive coordinator in the NFL came in 2006 with the Minnesota Vikings before he was somewhat surprisingly hired as Cowher's successor at 34-years-old leading into the 2007 season.

As for Scheelhaase, he was a college quarterback at the University of Illinois from 2009 to 2013, where he finished with 8,568 yards and 55 touchdowns.

He then moved into coaching once his playing days ended, first holding down NCAA roles much like Tomlin did, sticking at his alma mater from 2015 to 2017 before heading over to Iowa State from 2018 to 2023.

Scheelhaase was later hired by Rams head coach Sean McVay as an offensive assistant and pass game specialist ahead of the 2024 campaign. He earned a promotion this year to pass game coordinator and was a huge factor in the team's offensive success, as Matthew Stafford threw for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns while the group as a whole averaged the most yards per game in the league during the regular season with 394.6.

As Los Angeles sits one step away from its second Super Bowl appearance since 2021, Scheelhaase has generated plenty of intrigue as a bright up-and-coming mind despite never being a coordinator at the NFL level.

Some questions about his readiness to step into a head coaching role have understandably been raised as a result, but Tomlin was in a similar boat nearly 20 years ago, and we all saw how that worked out for the Steelers.

Jul 23, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator coach Nate Scheelhaase during training camp at Loyola Marymount University. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Why Scheelhaase's Tomlin Comparison Makes Him an Appealing Candidate

A sound argument could be made that the Steelers should move past the Tomlin era and bring in a head coach who doesn't view the game in a similar fashion and may even operate in a different manner at almost every level.

Simply put, there's no denying that Pittsburgh needs a shake-up after losing its seventh playoff game in a row over a week ago to the Houston Texans, which proceeded Tomlin's departure.

If Scheelhaase can bring the same sort of essence that Tomlin did to the Steelers for 19 seasons, though, that shouldn't be viewed as a deterrent for the organization.

After all, Tomlin did lead the franchise to a win in Super Bowl XLIII over the Arizona Cardinals while never finishing with a losing record.

That's not to say Scheelhaase is going to carve out a Hall of Fame resume like Tomlin did should the Steelers hire him, but being compared to the latter is something every prospective head coach in the league should strive for as a leader who instills a strong culture and consistently gets their teams to punch above their own weight while always being competitive.

There's still a long way to go in Pittsburgh's search for its next lead man, and Scheelhaase represents a departure from the organization's typical preference for a defensive-minded head coach, but his similarities to Tomlin should certainly work in his favor.

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