Steelers Set First HC Interview Date With Rams Coordinator

The Pittsburgh Steelers are kicking off their first round of interviews to close out the week.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Steelers will conduct their first interview, which will be virtual, with Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase on Jan. 16.

Rams pass-game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase will handle his head-coaching interviews Friday.

The emerging offensive coach has the Raiders, Steelers, Ravens and Browns on the docket.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 15, 2026

Scheelhaase, who has quickly become one of the most popular names in this year's coaching cycle, will interview with the Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns tomorrow as well.

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

Scheelhaase's Resume

A quarterback at the University of Illinois from 2009 to 2013, where he finished his career with 8,568 yards and 55 touchdowns, Scheelhaase moved into coaching once his playing days concluded.

After residing in the collegiate ranks as a coach at his alma mater from 2015 to 2017 as well as at Iowa State from 2018 to 2023, Scheelhaase was hired by Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay as an offensive assistant and pass game specialist ahead of the 2024 campaign.

This year, Scheelhaase earned a promotion to pass game coordinator and played a huge role 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.

Some concerns have been raised about Scheelhaase's readiness to become an NFL head coach, but there's a reason he's emerged as such a notable name during the current coaching carousel.

He's drawn plenty of praise while learning under arguably the league's top head coach in McVay, and a young up-and-coming offensive mind is always going to pique the interest of organizations around the NFL.

Pittsburgh's focus has appeared to be placed on the top defensive-minded candidates avaialble, but Scheelhaase is an intriguing candidate who could potentially fill the team's head coaching vacancy after Mike Tomlin stepped down earlier this week.

Steelers' Other Candidates

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator and Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter all received interview requests from the Steelers over the past few days in the wake of the Tomlin news.

Just today, though, Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley were added to that list.

Pittsburgh reportedly has held interest in Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, and while Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer believes the Steelers' job could tempt him to leave South Bend, he recently reaffirmed his commitment to the program during a press conference on Jan. 14.

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