Any of these eight coaches would be great hires for Pittsburgh
We now know that Mike Tomlin will be returning as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. With that out of the way, Tomlin and the Steelers can focus their search on their next offensive coordinator to drag this stagnant offense out of the mud.
There are several potential names that could be given looks, and ultimately land the job. These are a handful of candidates that should be in the mix.
Jerrod Johnson
Johnson is the Houston Texans’ current quarterbacks coach. Houston’s offensive staff, in conjunction with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, enabled rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud to emerge as one of the game’s top quarterbacks. In the event that the Steelers choose to pursue Kirk Cousins, he has ties to the Minnesota Vikings from his time as an assistant quarterbacks coach in 2022. Johnson is only 35, he had a brief stint as a Steelers player, and he is a great contender to be the team’s next offensive coordinator, regardless of who they choose to start at quarterback.
Klint Kubiak
Kubiak has coached in both the NFL and college leagues for nearly 15 years. He presently works for the San Francisco 49ers as their passing game coordinator. He served as the Denver Broncos’ quarterbacks coach and coordinator of passing games in 2022. He was part of the Vikings coaching staff from 2019 to 2021, the year Kirk Cousins threw 33 touchdowns to just seven interceptions while serving as the team’s offensive coordinator. A Kubiak offense revolves around play action and taking advantage of the middle of the field, which is the exact opposite of what the Steelers have done for the previous three seasons.
Shane Waldron
Waldron has had a 20 year coaching career, beginning in 2005 at Notre Dame as a graduate assistant. He joined Sean McVay in Los Angeles when he was hired by the Rams in 2017, working his way up from tight ends coach to pass game coordinator in the matter of a year. He then took on the duty of quarterbacks coach on top of being the passing game coordinator in 2019. In 2021, he became the Seahawks offensive coordinator, most notably helping Geno Smith resurrect his career with a 4,200 yard, 30 touchdown season in 2022.
Shane Day
Another Shane, another member of the coaching staff for the Texans. Under DeMeco Ryans, Day is currently Houston’s senior offensive assistant. From 2019 to 2022, he served as the 49ers’ quarterbacks coach. From 2021 to 2022, he was the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers. As the coordinator of the passing game in 2021, Justin Herbert completed passes for 5,000 yards and 38 touchdowns in one day. In the following season, he passed for nearly 4,800 yards. Nevertheless, it’s a positive thing that I would want (and expect) Day to err more toward the Kyle Shanahan philosophy than the Joe Lombardi approach. His offensive prowess and Shanahan-style upbringing would make him a valuable asset to Pittsburgh.
Tee Martin
Martin has worked his way up from the high school ranks to the Baltimore Ravens’ quarterbacks coach. Along with Todd Monken, Martin has helped Lamar Jackson become a completely different player in the pocket than we had grown accustom to. In particular, if the Steelers were to make a move for Justin Fields, I think Martin would be a great hire to snag from their arch-rivals.
Jake Peetz
Peetz is currently the pass game specialist for the Rams. His hand in the Los Angeles offense helped make the Rams one of the most dynamic passing games in football with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. Previously, Peetz was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at LSU in 2021 after two years with the Carolina Panthers from 2019-20. His other notable stops include stints with the Raiders, Commanders, and the University of Alabama.
Alex Van Pelt
Van Pelt is from Pittsburgh, and was just shockingly fired by the Browns after four seasons as their offensive coordinator. He helped the Browns win 11 games with four different quarterbacks this season. He also helped Cleveland get to the playoffs twice, and beat the Steelers in the 2020-21 wild card round. The Kevin Stefanski style of offense would be a welcome addition to Pittsburgh. If he would get the job, I’d suspect Baker Mayfield would be a prime target for the Steelers if he doesn’t re-sign with the Buccaneers.
Mike Bobo
At the moment, Bobo serves as the University of Georgia’s OC. The Steelers might consider searching the collegiate ranks for their next player. Todd Monken helped the Ravens do this, and it has greatly benefited Baltimore. Bobo is in his second term as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Georgia. During his prior tour of duty, he coached Matthew Stafford before the quarterback—who is now winning the Super Bowl—was selected by the Detroit Lions. The Pittsburgh Steelers ought to give this careful thought.
