Current Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada figures to finish out the year with the team. What seems just as likely is the team looking for a new coordinator in 2024. While most of Canada’s inevitable replacement has centered around outside candidates, the team may look at some internal options. After all, each of their last two coordinators have been promoted, first Randy Fichtner followed by Canada.
One of those options could be RB Coach Eddie Faulkner. Speaking to the media during last week’s bye, Faulkner expressed the desire to one day become an NFL coordinator. That’s what he said via The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly, who tweeted the comment.
There’s no direct quote so we don’t know exactly what or how Faulkner said it. Presumably, he’s not taking a swipe at Canada or anyone on the Steelers’ coaching staff. But it’s a nugget of information to file away assuming the position in Pittsburgh becomes available in January.
As Kaboly notes, Faulkner has some experience as an offensive coordinator. He served in that capacity for two years at Ball State from 2009 t0 2010 before the school turned over its coaching staff and he became Northern Illinois’ RB coach in 2011. In fact, and I didn’t know this until now, Faulkner even briefly served as Ball State’s head coach after Stan Parrish was fired following the 2010 year. However, Parrish wasn’t fired until after the season was over and Faulkner served as the interim head coach until Pete Lembo was hired less than one month later, meaning Faulkner never served in that role for a game. Or for much time at all. Still, it’s an interesting career footnote.
Positional coaches, especially young ones like the 45-year old Faulkner, often have hopes of becoming a coordinator. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always happen. In a 2008 coaching clinic, DL Coach Karl Dunbar expressed hopes of climbing the coach ladder.
“One day I want to be a coordinator, one day I want to be a head coach, but right now, I’m going to be the best defensive line coach I can be,” he said. “Everything I can learn to help my guys do one thing better, that’s me.”
Though Dunbar seems qualified, that never happened and he’s been a d-line coach throughout his career. When the DC spot opened up in Pittsburgh after the 2021 season, Mike Tomlin tabbed Teryl Austin for that role, not Dunbar. Now, none of that says the same will happen to Faulkner. He’s younger and has a good track record in Pittsburgh with RBs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, turning him from undrafted free agent to significant Steelers’ contributor.
But in a passing world, the jump from RBs Coach to coordinator is uncommon. According to this list, only two of the current offensive coordinators in football previously served in a run game capacity. The Miami Dolphins’ Frank Smith and the Green Bay Packers’ Adam Stenavich. Both were internal promotions and both have head coaches who serve as main playcallers, Mike McDaniel and Matt LaFleur. In Pittsburgh, the OC will serve as the main playcaller. For the Steelers, you’d have to go back to Ken Whisenhunt in 2004 as the last non-passing central coach turned Steelers’ offensive coordinator, going from tight ends coach to that role. Since, the team has hired Bruce Arians, Todd Haley, Randy Ficthner, and Canada, all of whom have quarterback/receiver backgrounds.
If the Steelers consider in-house options, and they likely will at least interview somebody, Faulkner could get a look. It would at least give him experience in that type of interview setting. For what it’s worth, Faulkner appears to share the same agent as Canada, Jason Fletcher.
Other options include QBs Coach Mike Sullivan or Offensive Assistant Glenn Thomas. Thomas might be a sneaky name to consider. He has the Canada path of just one year with the team but not a total outside hire, blending familiarity with new ideas and perspective. He has served as a college offensive coordinator but also as an NFL quarterbacks coach, working with Matt Ryan in Atlanta. An outside hire is still more likely than a promotion but all those names should at least be considered once the team announces they’ve “parted ways with” Canada in roughly three months.
