This is in no way substantiated, so for now you must consider it a rumor that is growing legs from a questionable source. I usually don\’t deal in this type of rumor mongering, but it does make a little sense based on connecting the dots. The rumor is that Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has interviewed, or is going to interview, former West Virginia head coach Bill Stewart for a spot on his staff. It could be an interview for the vacant offensive coordinator position or perhaps as quarterbacks coach should Randy Fichtner end up being promoted. We just do not know that answer and are not 100% sure this is even true.
Stewart was named interim head coach of the Mountaineers after Rich Rodriguez left to become the Michigan head coach late in 2007. Stewart was officially named head coach in the early part of 2008 and lasted two seasons before he resigned amid accusations of initiating a smear campaign against his appointed successor, Dana Holgorsen. Reportedly Stewart was set to resign after the 2011 season and take a position in the WVU Athletic Department.
Stewart has a link back to Tomlin as he gave the Steelers head coach his first coaching job at the Virginia Military Institute back in 1995. Tomlin coached the receivers there and Ed Bouchette theorized last June that Tomlin might look to find a place on the Steelers staff for Stewart. That of course did not happen.
Stewart started his coaching career back in 1977 for Salem International University and served as an assistant coach at various colleges before getting the VMI job in 1994. He was forced to resign amid a racist controversy in 1994 and moved on to the CFL for two seasons before landing at WVU in 2000.
We shall see if this gets vetted over the next 24-48 hours, but for now we shall treat it for what it is, a rumor. Just thought I would pass it along.
