Since Mike Tomlin stepped down as head coach, the Pittsburgh Steelers raced to request interviews for the vacant head coaching role. As team president Art Rooney II and Omar Khan begin their second round of interviews, four of the ten open head coaching jobs have already been snatched up (and more will come soon).
One of the candidates on Pittsburgh's interview list, Jeff Hafley, took the head coaching gig with the Miami Dolphins. Meanwhile, Jesse Minter feels like a strong candidate to become the HC of the Baltimore Ravens.
One candidate the Steelers have had their eyes on since Day 1 is Chris Shula.
Shula, the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams, checks all of the boxes the Steelers have looked for historically in a head coach—he's young with a defensive-minded presence, and he would be a first-time head coach.
While Shula feels like an excellent fit in Pittsburgh, his current status creates a sticky situation for the Steelers team, desperate to find their next head coach.
The Pittsburgh Steelers may be forced to abandon Chris Shula HC hopes as the coaching pool dries up
The LA Rams won each of their first two playoff games—defeating the Panthers in the Wild Card round and the Bears (in overtime) in the divisional round. While the postseason success only adds to Shula's impressive resume, it might also make it harder for the Steelers to land the promising head coach prospect.
Though the Steelers were able to request a virtual interview with the Rams' defensive coordinator, Pittsburgh has yet to meet with Shula in-person.
And if the Rams beat the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game on Sunday, this could only add stress to the Steelers' situation.
Technically, all coaching candidates from the upcoming championship weekend will be available to schedule interviews starting Monday. However, a Rams win would mean that Shula would be spending at least two more weeks with Los Angeles as they would be preparing for an all-important Super Bowl game.
While two weeks might not seem like a big deal, NFL teams desire to have their head coach situated long before the Super Bowl, because immediately after, the offseason begins.
The East-West Shrine Bowl will take place just two days after the Super Bowl, and the all-important Senior Bowl comes less than a week after the Super Bowl wraps up. For the sake of the direction of the franchise, the front office will need to collaborate with the head coach, and Shula wouldn't be around the facility until after the Super Bowl.
On top of this, the Steelers will consider the fact that Shula will be forced to assemble his coaching staff before the offseason chaos begins quickly. Shula will want to bring in an offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator who fit his plans for the team, while finding a way to fill out his staff in a matter of days.
This not only applies to the Steelers' interest in Chris Shula, but in Nate Scheelhaase as well. The Rams' passing game coordinator and Pittsburgh's potential head coach prospect wouldn't be able to focus on the Steelers until after the Super Bowl if the Rams win on Sunday.
Obviously, if the Steelers love Shula (or Scheelhaase) as a potential head coach, they shouldn't let their busy schedules prevent them from making a move. Either way, a Rams win over the Seahawks on Sunday could muddy the waters in the Pittsburgh Steelers' head coaching search.