The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the midst of their first Head Coach search in nearly 20 years, and the names they have focused on so far should be no surprise. The overwhelming majority of the candidates that they have requested to interview have a defensive background, with Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula and Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores the most notable among them.
Others, like Chargers DC Jesse Minter and Packers DC Jeff Hafley, have also been in contact with Pittsburgh about their opening. Prior to Thursday night, the only offensive coach the team planned to interview was Rams passing game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase.
That changed when Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the Steelers submitted an interview request for 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak.
The Steelers have submitted an interview request for 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak for their head coach vacancy, per source. pic.twitter.com/yjgYGfDFuy
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 15, 2026
Yes, that's right; not Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak, but his brother Klay instead. It's a bit of a surprise, but all you have to do is look around the league to see why it makes sense.
The Pittsburgh Steelers interviewing 49ers Klay Kubiak shows they understand league trends
The Steelers are as synonymous with defense as any franchise in the NFL, so it's likely that they will continue to focus on defensive coaches during their HC search. Their interest in Kubiak, however, signals that they aren't blind to the NFL trending more and more towards being an offensive league.
Defensive head coaches still have their place in the NFL, as do CEO types like new Giants HC John Harbaugh. The value of an offensive playcaller as your leading man, however, is far too high not take a swing on one eventually. For the Steelers, who are as loyal as any franchise in pro sports, period, hitting on a coach like that could mean 15+ years of success without worrying about solving their OC problem.
Tomlin's struggle to find a suitable OC to help the offense thrive was a key reason he failed to win a playoff game in the final nine seasons of his career. It is much easier to find an above-average DC to pair with your offensive HC compared to the opposite. That's why Pittsburgh's interest in the 37-year-old Kubiak is important.
Kubiak comes from the lauded Shanahan offensive system, something Mike Shanahan and Kubiak's father, Gary Kubiak, made famous decades ago and continues to spread across the NFL. Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay are now the most notable HCs who come from that system, and their understudies have had plenty of success as both HCs and coordinators.
His brother Klint has garnered far more interest this coaching cycle, but that's because he has experience as the actual playcaller for the Vikings, Saints, and Seahawks. Klay hasn't done that at the NFL level yet, but he is a major part of the 49ers' game planning. If the Steelers believe he can implement a Shanahan offense while handling the duties of an HC, he could very well end up as the pick.