The next month or so will be rather busy for former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bill Cowher.
Currently a pre- and post-game host on CBS’ NFL Today, Cowher is set to be inducted into the North Carolina State Ring of Honor on Friday, Sept. 29, the school announced Friday. The induction ceremony will be held when the Wolfpack host the Louisville Cardinals in ACC action.
Cowher, a Crafton, Pa., native, played linebacker for North Carolina State from 1975-78 under the guidance of program head coaches Lou Holtz andBo Rein. While a member of the Wolfpack, Cowher had a standout career recording two 24-tackle games (South Carolina in 1977 and Clemson in 1978) and recorded a program-record 195 tackles in the 1978 season, which remains a school record. Cowher ranks seventh in school history in tackles (371) and his 24-tackle games still sits second in school history for tackles in a single game.
Following his time at NC State, Cowher played five seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cleveland Browns, going undrafted in the 1979 NFL Draft. In his five seasons Cowher played 45 games with four starts before ultimately moving into coaching at the age of 28.
Cowher started as a special teams coach in Cleveland under Marty Schottenheimer for two seasons before becoming a secondary coach with the Browns before then leaving for Kansas City with Schottenheimer, where he became defensive coordinator. A few seasons later, Cowher was named head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, eventually winning Super Bowl XL in 2005 with this hometown team.
During his tenure in Pittsburgh, Cowher became the first coach in NFL history to lead his team to the playoffs in each of his first six season. On top of that, Cowher led the Steelers to eight division titles, earned 10 postseason playoff berths, played in 21 playoff games, advanced to six AFC Championship games, and made two Super Bowl appearances. In 1995, the 38-year-old became the youngest coach in NFL history to lead his team to the Super Bowl, and he is one of only six coaches in NFL history to claim at least seven division titles.
“Throughout his career, Bill Cowher has epitomized what Wolfpack football is all about,” said NC State head coach Dave Doeren in a statement announcing Cowher’s induction. “He is a true mentor, leader, and icon in the coaching profession, and we are so proud to be able to honor him in Carter-Finley Stadium alongside other NC State legends.”
Cowher was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020 and is a member of the Steelers Hall of Honor, which he was inducted into in 2019.
Along with the NC State Ring of Honor, Cowher will have a documentary that will debut on Oct. 28 on his coaching career and overall football life. The Rich Eisen-narrated NFL Films docuseries NFL Icons on MGM+. Cowher’s docuseries will be released as part of the second season of the popular series and will include Charles Woodson, Jim Brown and Mike Singletary.
