Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher told Newsday on Tuesday that he would be open to returning to the coaching again at some point.
Cowher, who was interviewed at a CBS function to promote the upcoming coverage of the Super Bowl, said that he probably will return to the NFL, but didn\’t say when exactly that would be.
“It would be a challenge,” said Cowher, per the report, “but I think that\’s probably why I would get back into it, because of the challenge.”
He also scoffed at the idea the game has changed too much since he stepped down as the Steelers head coach following the 2006 season in which he went 8-8.
“I did it for 27 years,” he said. “You don\’t just forget things overnight.”
Cowher\’s career coaching record when he walked away from the game was 149-90-1 after 15 seasons in Pittsburgh. He has been with CBS as a studio annalist since 2007.
The timing of the Cowher comments come at time when five teams are still looking for a head coach, but it doesn\’t appear as if he is looking for job next season. You knew the 55 year old coach would want to return to the game at some point and this now all sets up perfectly for a return in 2014.
Last August it was reported that Cowher bought a $2.65 million condo in Manhattan\’s Upper East Side that overlooked portions of Central Park and immediately there was speculation that he had his eye on the New York Jets job if it opened up after the 2012 season. The Jets look like they will retain head coach Rex Ryan for at least one more season, so that is definitely out should he indeed be trying to get back into the league in 2013.
Cowher of course has ties to the North Carolina area as well, so the Carolina Panthers certainly could be speculated as a landing spot for him should head coach Ron Rivera not be able to turn things around there in 2013. Panthers owner Jerry Richardson has long been an admirer of the way the Steelers organization does things so that is another thing to keep in mind.
The return of Cowher to the game would be well received by many around the league and there is no doubt that he will likely succeed wherever he winds up. You would also have to think that he would love to have Omar Khan, the Steelers Director of Business & Football Administration, as a General Manager or Director of Operations as well. It has long been speculated that whenever Cowher did return to the game that Khan would follow him to wherever he lands.
Stay tuned.
