We can’t really say that we’re in uncharted waters for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yes, they are looking for a new offensive coordinator, but it’s not for the first time in recent years. They had a coordinator search in 2018 and then in 2021. They didn’t look very far before arriving at their choice, so in that sense this round should be different. But the point is it would be going too far to suggest a coordinator search is unfamiliar.
With that said, they do seem to be going about it slower than most teams do. Perhaps part of that is because of new rules about when you can interview candidates in person. Still, it’s interesting that thus far only one name, Zac Robinson, has surfaced. Peter King suggested a couple different names he thinks Mike Tomlin and Steelers ought to strongly consider.
“Tomlin has announced he’s coming back for 2024 and will welcome a new contract and, most importantly, will seek an outside offensive coordinator to come in and craft a modern offense”, he wrote in his latest Football Morning in America column. Then he added a parenthetical. “(Interview Klint Kubiak of the Niners and Jake Peetz of the Rams, Steelers; you’ll thank me later.)”.
Kubiak is one of the most unsurprising names on the offensive coordinator candidate circuit. He’s a rightfully respected, successful coach in his own right. He has coaching pedigree and is operating at a high level in a successful system. He’ll likely field a number of interview requests. We already suggested him as one of the top options.
Peetz is more interesting and less common name. At 39 years old, he already has a lengthy coaching history, and on top of that, even some scouting experience. For the past two seasons, he has been a passing-game specialist for the Los Angeles Rams. In other words, he’s worked directly with Robinson, who is Sean McVay’s quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator.
But Peetz has plenty of experience, even if never as offensive coordinator except briefly at LSU in 2021. He was quarterbacks coach for the Carolina Panthers and the Oakland Raiders, and also held assistant quarterback coach jobs elsewhere. He has been a running backs coach and a quality control coach. For three years, he was a scout for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Back in college, he was a special teams coordinator and safeties coach and a strength and conditioning coordinator all at the same time. He has worn many hats, safe to say.
Coaches from the McVay coaching tree are certainly popular. For that matter, so are those from Kyle Shanahan’s, of which Kubiak is one. Four of McVay’s former assistants have earned head-coaching jobs, including three currently, Brandon Staley having recently been fired by the Los Angeles Chargers. Shanahan has three former assistants who are currently head coaches as well.
Could the Steelers be the latest team to add a branch to the tree? If their reported interest in Robinson is genuine, then the interest is there. Odds are they will try to explore a number of candidates this round as they try to get it right. It will be interesting to see just who they’re looking at, though, and neither of these names would shock me.
