The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the most important decisions looming in recent franchise history: who will they choose to replace Mike Tomlin? After a historic 19-year run with the team, Tomlin has stepped down as head coach. Now, team president Art Rooney II and Omar Khan are busy looking for his predecessor.
This is likely to come in the form of a young, defensive-minded head coach—it's pretty much all this organization has known. Since the NFL merger, the Steelers have had just three head coaches: Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin.
They all had two things in common: they were young coaches who commanded the defense.
Straying from this path feels unlikely; the vast majority of coaches they've requested to interview for the head coaching position are current NFL defensive coordinators. But one impressive coach has a chance to break the mold: Klay Kubiak.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could break tradition by signing 49ers OC Klay Kubiak
If the 'Kubiak' name sounds familiar, there's a reason for that. Klay's brother, Klint, is the offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks, and the 'Kubiak' who's drawing the most attention during this coaching cycle. Their father, Gary Kubiak, was a Super Bowl-winning NFL head coach of the Denver Broncos, who spent most of his career as the HC of the Houston Texans.
This visit is interesting, considering Pittsburgh's storied history. Kubiak does not fit the mold of the young, fiery, defensive-minded coach that the Rooneys have sought in the past. Instead, Klay is a young, innovative offensive mind who quietly helped lead one of the best offenses in the NFL in 2025.
Kubiak is the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. Though he isn't the offensive play-caller, he works closely with head coach Kyle Shanahan, who is unanimously considered one of the best in the business. During his five seasons working with Shanahan, Kubiak has served as a passing game specialist and an assistant quarterbacks coach.
Kubiak's football experience stretches beyond coaching, as he was a former quarterback for Colorado State from 2007 to 2010.
After coaching at the high school level for seven years after college, Kubiak landed with Shanahan in San Francisco. Now the offensive coordinator who produced the NFL's seventh-ranked offense in his first season as OC is already drawing head coaching buzz.
What's most impressive is that Kubiak helped do this despite the 49ers dealing with a plethora of injuries on the offensive side of the ball. This included starting quarterback Brock Purdy and first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (who each missed eight games in 2025).
The biggest concern with Kubiak is that he may be a bit too raw. He's only been a coordinator for one season in the NFL, and he didn't call plays in 2025. Still, it's more than notable that he's had the best mentor in the business. The Kyle Shanahan coaching tree is unmatched.
I still suspect the Pittsburgh Steelers to go with a defensive-minded head coach at the end of the day, but Klay Kubiak is one of the promising young up-and-coming offensive minds in the business. This would be an exciting hire to replace Mike Tomlin, who would completely break the mold.