Steelers OC Arthur Smith And DC Teryl Austin Get Message From Art Rooney II About Their Fate As Potential Promotion Questions Loom

The Pittsburgh Steelers are at a pivotal point for the franchise as Mike Tomlin's time as the head coach in the Steel City has finally come to a close. Fans have been calling for his job for years now, but the head coach decided to step down on Tuesday after the Steelers were eliminated in the first round of the postseason on Monday night. The news came as a surprise to some, while others understood that the coach had been weighing the idea of potentially taking a break from coaching for some time now. He will now get to enjoy some time with his family while the franchise looks to hire its fourth head coach in over 50 years.

It will be interesting to see what direction Pittsburgh goes in when it comes to looking for a new head coach. Many believe an offensive-minded head coach is necessary in today's NFL, but the franchise has historically gone with defensive-minded head coaches. Both options will likely be considered, but Owner and Team President Art Rooney II did rule out one category of potential coaches during his press conference on Wednesday when he was asked about potentially hiring from within.

"You know, right now I don't think that anybody on our staff is a candidate," Rooney said. "Maybe a candidate to stay on the staff, depending on what the new head coach wants to do, but probably not as a head coach."

This rules out everyone that is already inside of the building in Pittsburgh for the head coaching job. Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith was the only real option for an internal hire as he is interviewing for head coaching vacancies elsewhere around the league. Fans in Pittsburgh may not be impressed with what he has done over his two years running the offense, but he has gotten some decent results while getting below-average quarterback play for the most part.

Rooney ruled out the idea of hiring Smith as the team's new head coach, and any other option from inside the building as mentioned. This is good news considering an internal hire would have only made the fan base more angry, and it would not have allowed the organization to take a step forward. The Steelers are seemingly so far behind the rest of the NFL in some regards, and a complete coaching overhaul is going to allow the franchise to star making up ground.

The Steelers had hired from within in the past, just not at head coach. Matt Canada was promoted to offensive coordinator during the 2021 offseason, which was likely a decision made by Tomlin. Teryl Austin was promoted to defensive coordinator during the 2022 offseason. It is fair to assume those were both moves that were heavily influenced by Tomlin, and it is no coincidence that both decisions wound up being costly. Canada hasn't touched a sideline since being fired in the middle of the 2023 season, and Austin has turned the league's highest-paid defense into a shell of itself.

Hiring from within has not worked for Pittsburgh, and it would be a disastrous move to do that at a position as important as head coach.

Steelers Will Begin Search For New Head Coach Immediately

Rooney announced that both he and General Manager Omar Khan will be leading the search for Pittsburgh's next head coach, and both were apart of the initial hiring process for Tomlin when he joined the organization back in 2007. There is not an exact timeline for the search, but it should be expected to take a few weeks as the franchise will do its due diligence when it comes to making such an important decision.

What do you think about Rooney ruling out an internal hire? Let us know in the comments below!

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