The Mike Tomlin era is over for the Pittsburgh Steelers, even if it doesn't feel that way with the Mike McCarthy hire. An offseason once filled with promise and intrigue has left fans feeling robbed with a hire that feels like much of the same, just in a different font.
Regardless of one's feelings about McCarthy, he is now the head coach, and there is no changing that. In the NFL, the head coach is very important, but so is the staff he surrounds himself with.
So far, no hires have been made to the new coaching staff. Things will likely ramp up on filling the staff shortly, and McCarthy must make good decisions at every position on the coaching staff.
The offensive coordinator may be the one that fans focus on, but that should not be the focus. With McCarthy calling plays, the offensive coordinator is not a spot that needs a top-tier guy like what should have been around under Tomlin.
A good coaching staff can make or break a head coach, especially in their first year with a team. McCarthy is no stranger to the NFL, but he must hit on a few hires if he wants to see success early in Pittsburgh.
Coaching decisions that Pittsburgh Steelers HC Mike McCarthy must knock out of the park
Pittsburgh Steelers must hire a strong defensive coordinator
Mike McCarthy is an offense-minded coach and will have a heavy involvement on that side of the ball. With so much of his focus on offense, he must hire a strong defensive mind to handle the defense.
There are a few names that could be potential candidates for the defensive signal-caller job. Patrick Graham and Raheem Morris are two names to consider watching to fill the position.
Graham was on staff with McCarthy in 2018, his last season in Green Bay. Graham was also interviewed for the job in 2022 before the Steelers promoted Teryl Austin.
Graham has done a lot with very little in Las Vegas as the Raiders' defensive coordinator. The roster has been pretty bare talent-wise, and yet he has had them around the middle of the pack in most categories despite the lack of talent.
Raheem Morris could be another veteran coordinator the team could pursue. He has no previous connections to Mike McCarthy, but he has been a proven defensive coordinator in the past, including in Los Angeles, winning Super Bowl LVI.
Al Harris is a dark horse to watch out for, but he is the least attractive name here, just due to never being a coordinator before. His defensive backs have had a ton of interceptions over his stops at defensive backs coach for various clubs, and he has a history with Mike McCarthy as a player in Green Bay from 2006 to 2009.
A new, quality offensive line coach is a must
The Steelers have had a successful start to rebuilding their offensive line, especially on the right side. They seem to have found their center, right guard, and right tackle for the foreseeable future.
The jury is still out on Broderick Jones, as he looked to be progressing well in his first year back at left tackle. His development was stunted by playing right tackle for the first two years of his career.
An offensive line coach with a history of developing offensive lines is a must for McCarthy. The young linemen on the roster need continual development, no matter who the QB is, and retaining Pat Meyer is not the best way to ensure that.
While Mike Munchak likely won't be coming, someone who fits that mold will go a long way in continuing the work they have done to replenish the unit. Joe Philbin is a name to watch as he was with McCarthy in Dallas. They had a couple of top ten units during his stint, but those players were also pretty established prior to his arrival.
New defensive backs coach for new DB room
The Steelers' secondary went from an exciting unit before the season to one of its most disappointing of 2025. Jalen Ramsey lost a step, and it created huge issues in the secondary that were compounded by Darius Slay showing his age and plummeting off a cliff compared to his 2024 play in Philadelphia.
The Steelers need to invest in this group again in 2026, but they need to get much younger. No more settling for 30-plus-year-old defensive backs on the back half of their careers.
Joey Porter Jr. is the lone bright spot in a room that has lacked consistency for many years. James Pierre had a breakout season, but it is hard to trust that given his career in totality.
Gerald Alexander is the current DBs coach. While it wouldn't be detrimental to retain him, some new perspective here, along with new, youthful defensive backs, would be the way to go.
Al Harris may be better suited to come to Pittsburgh in this role than as a defensive coordinator. He has coached many younger defensive backs like Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland in Dallas, as well as Jaquan Brisker, Nahshon Wright, Tyrique Stevenson, and Jaylon Johnson in Chicago this year.
Not every coach on the Steelers roster needs to be let go, and McCarthy would do well to retain some of them, like Tom Arth, Zach Azzani, Eddie Faulkner, Denzel Martin, and Alfredo Roberts. However, he is likely to let most, if not all, of these coaches go.
The staff a coach hires is one of the most important groups of decisions a head coach will make. He must nail the big ones listed here for the Steelers to have success in 2026 and beyond.