The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't have to fire Mike Tomlin after all. On Tuesday following the embarrassing playoff loss to Houston, the 19-year Steelers head coach told the team that he was stepping down from his position, as reported by ESPN insiders Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler. Now, the Steelers will be looking for just their fourth head coach since 1969 while the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL is no longer occupying his post.
Tomlin moving on, though, might be doing the Steelers a favor. Yes, he never had a losing season — but the Super Bowl memories are starting to fade, and the playoff appearances have been one fruitless and near hopeless endeavor after another. Something needs to change. That includes the roster, too, but it also has quite a bit to do with the regime needing change as well. Change can come in many forms, and these six replacements for Tomlin would ultimately bring that about.
Brian Flores (Current Vikings defensive coordinator)
One of the fascinating aspects of Tomlin stepping down is trying to marry how much of what can be changed is going out the door with him, and what part is institutional. Specifically in regard to replacing Tomlin, you have to wonder if they would go after some newer blood in NFL coaching circles, or if they would prefer to go with a more veteran candidate who would maintain an old-school mentality — you know, someone like Brian Flores.
There's no question that Flores remains one of the best and most well-respected defensive minds in the NFL. He's singlehandedly given the Vikings defense a much-needed facelift in recent years, and that's come despite some pretty drastic personnel shifts and movement in Minnesota during his tenure.
Obviously, Flores' legal situation from his time as the head coach in Miami complicates his candidacy somewhat, which is probably why he's already not a head coach at this current moment. However, with the prestige of the Steelers job and the infrastructure in place for the organization, they might be the best landing spot for him, and he could help bring in a new voice while still maintaining some of the more positive pillars of the Tomlin era in terms of the old-school mentality.
Klint Kubiak (Current Seahawks offensive coordinator)
On a completely different gear from Flores, someone like Klint Kubiak would be part of that equation. At just 38 years old, he's one of the brightest rising stars in NFL coaching circles and for good reason. He's spent time with Kevin O'Connell and Kyle Shanahan over the years, and the past two years have shown that he's already come into his own individually as a play-caller and offensive guru, so to speak. Sure, the Saints weren't particularly good last season — but that quite clearly, based on what we've seen in Seattle, had more to do with the players than Kubiak.
Among the many frustrations of the Tomlin era, one of them has been the stale offensive stylings that have now lasted for most of the past decade. Hiring Kubiak would be a stark departure from the Arthur Smiths of the world, and certainly a far cry from the Matt Canada doldrums. With a franchise that likely will be breaking in a new quarterback, having someone who has shown prowess in quarterback development would make a world of sense.
And if you happen to be someone who wants to maintain some of the strong coaching pedigree and push back at hiring one of the latest "wunderkinds" in coaching, Kubiak obviously has strong NFL coaching bloodlines that could help ease any wariness among Steelers fans.
Robert Saleh (Current 49ers defensive coordinator)
Frankly, it feels like more teams should be considering Robert Saleh for their head coaching position, the Steelers included. Sure, he was fired by the Jets several years ago — but that looks more and more like it was a New York problem more than anything else. Let's not forget, the Jets boasted one of the league's best defenses under Saleh, cratered on that side of the ball after he was fired, and have remained a disaster offensively, which is what ultimately doomed his tenure.
As easy as it is to be enamored with a bright offensive mind in the modern NFL — and, to be clear, often quite beneficial for the team that hires them — there is also still value to the right defensive mind. That could be especially pertinent to an organization like the Steelers. When Pittsburgh has been at its best over the years, the defense has been the stalwart driving force behind them.
With Saleh, the two lessons from his time with the Jets would be to ensure that the offense can reset in a positive way post-Aaron Rodgers (assumedly), and that his staff hires inspire full confidence, particularly on his non-preferred side of the ball. But in terms of his ability to level up a defense, Saleh might be right on par with Flores in that capacity, which should be enticing for Pittsburgh.
Chris Shula (Current Rams defensive coordinator)
Another defensive mind, but one that's certainly in a different mold than Flores or Saleh would be. Chris Shula is another branch on the growing Sean McVay coaching tree, but in a different vein. We've seen plenty of offensive minds in McVay's sphere get hired and elevated elsewhere, but Shula appears to be the brightest young defensive mind that we've seen in that regard.
Specifically thinking about Shula's value to a team like Pittsburgh, two things stand out. First is the youth. At 39 years old, not only would it give a fresh new voice in the building to a franchise that seems to need that pretty direly, but it would also give a long runway for an organization that hasn't exactly been one to change coaches over the years. With how the Steelers operate so uniquely at head coach, Shula has the time ahead of him to be around for the long haul.
The other factor in that is how Shula has elevated this Rams defense to be one of the NFL's best, this season in particular. The formula of a strong front seven paired with a lacking secondary group that is put in the best roles and positions to succeed would fit the Steelers defense like a glove. And while there is risk in hiring a 39-year-old, it could be well worth it for this fit in particular.
Mike McDaniel (Former Dolphins head coach)
I fully understand that, on the surface, there might not be a bigger potential culture shock than going from Mike Tomlin to Mike McDaniel in Pittsburgh. The now-former Dolphins head coach undeniably goes to the beat of his own drum, and his press conferences and soundbites couldn't be more different from Tomlin. But again, don't the Steelers need to consider making a drastic change as to how the locker room is being run?
McDaniel made Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins offense one of the most potent units in the league for a while. There was attrition, to be sure, and ultimately that led to his dismissal in Miami — but you could also argue that the failings of Chris Grier in the front office were more largely to blame for that. At the end of the day, there is more evidence that McDaniel's scheme and offensive mind still works in the NFL when there's functional personnel than there is to the contrary.
With his offensive mind combined with his head coaching experience, this would be the right type of retread to consider. You won't find the likes of John Harbaugh or even Kevin Stefanski on this list, not because they aren't good coaches, but because I'm not sure how well they fit as retreads within the AFC North. McDaniel doesn't come with that same baggage, and we should still believe in his upside as a coach in a better situation.
Marcus Freeman (Current Notre Dame head coach)
This might be a bit of a pie-in-the-sky target for the Steelers (or any NFL team), considering that Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame have tried to shut down any potential move to the professional level over the past two offseason. Yet, reports indicate that teams are still calling about potential opportunities. And there's good reason why — more importantly, there's good reason that the Steelers would be interested in the Fighting Irish's head coach.
If Pittsburgh is looking to try and marry the idea of a Tomlin-esque figure in terms of old-school mentality while also getting a younger, fresher voice into the building, then Freeman checks the box as well or better than any other potential candidate. Furthermore, with college football becoming more professionalized with each passing season amid the NIL and transfer portal boom, Freeman and Notre Dame have weathered that, despite their academic restrictions. It feels as if his eventual move to the NFL is all but inevitable.
Obviously, the track record of college coaches jumping to the NFL is mixed, to say the least. However, there are also some candidates that simply supersede that with the job they've done at the college level, his mental makeup, and how he could be a perfect transition for the Steelers specifically from Tomlin into a new era. He wouldn't upset the apple cart too much, but enough to bring about the needed meaningful change.