The Pittsburgh Steelers deviated from a tried-and-true method of hiring their head coaches when they hired 62-year-old Mike McCarthy last weekend. McCarthy is nine years older than his predecessor, Mike Tomlin, who was the league’s youngest head coach of all-time when he was hired in 2007.
Tomlin spent the past 19 seasons as the Steelers' head coach. Bill Cowher roamed the sidelines for 15 years. Chuck Noll for 23. McCarthy’s head coaching experience is already 18 NFL seasons long. Naturally, Steelers fans are a bit worried about the longevity McCarthy can offer Pittsburgh at this stage of his career.
In his introductory press conference on Tuesday, McCarthy acknowledged the concern while paying respects to the legendary coaches who came before him.
Mike McCarthy addresses longevity expectations in taking over the Pittsburgh Steelers following decades of stability
“This game is about winning. You know, and the game has changed. My first year in the NFL was 1993. The rules have changed, the way you train your team has changed. Those are things I’m focused on, and I hope it lasts a very long time,” McCarthy said.
A long time is different for McCarthy compared to the average Steelers fan. Especially those who expected to see Pittsburgh make another hire that would last another decade or more in the position.
A 10-year stint from McCarthy would put him within striking distance to eventually become the oldest head coach in league history, a mark set by Pete Carroll at 74 years of age this past season with the Las Vegas Raiders. If he could hold the job for that long, he’d also join Andy Reid as the only coaches in league history to coach two different franchises for 10+ years each.
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It’s a long-enough shot as it is because of his age and the remaining fact that the franchise is still in a win-now mode. And following up on the acts of three consecutive legendary coaches only makes the odds longer.
“I think, really, Coach Noll, growing up in the 70s, you know, when I got into coaching, you look at someone you’d like to emulate. And what Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin have done here, trust me, I have great respect for that," McCarthy said.
Everyone has great respect for the work the Steelers' three head coaches have put in over the past 57 years, but Steelers fans must hope that McCarthy can add to that legacy, and in a short amount of time.