Mike Tomlin was more forthcoming than expected during his year-end press conference, outlining in detail what he’s looking for in his next offensive coordinator. From it, we know three things:
1. It won’t be an internal candidate. So no Eddie Faulkner or Mike Sullivan. An outsider will be brought in.
2. Tomlin wants someone with coordinating experience. Not someone’s first time.
3. He greatly prefers someone with a QB coaching background, given the team’s uncertain situation at the position.
With that, we can come up with a short list of names that make sense. It’s still a wide net to cast, and I won’t rattle off every possible option, but here are logical fits who meet the above criteria. Below that, I’ll offer my educated guess on who the favorites are. The following names are initially listed in no particular order. Until the end, at least, when they will be.
Pep Hamilton/NFL Network
Resume: Stanford OC/QBs Coach 2011-12, Colts OC 2013-15, D.C. Defenders Head Coach 2020, Chargers QB Coach 2020, Texans OC 2022.
Why He Fits: We know not long ago that the Steelers showed interest. Hamilton was one of three men the Steelers had interest in for the vacant OC job in 2021 before promoting Matt Canada (Hue Jackson was the other). He has a strong quarterback resume, so good with Andrew Luck at Stanford that the Colts scooped him up when they made Luck their franchise quarterback. More recently, Hamilton helped develop Justin Herbert in 2020, turning him into the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. In fact, the NFL tabbed him to run part of the league’s 2022 QB Coach Summit. You want track records with quarterback, Hamilton’s got the goods.
He’s known for being detailed and incredibly smart, someone who has worn a bunch of hats. He’s been a positional coach, an offensive coordinator, and a head coach/general manager for a few months in the XFL. Out of the NFL last year, he put on his analyst hat with guest appearances for NFL Network.
Though brought up in the West Coast system, Hamilton runs his “No Coast” offense, an offense designed to win in different ways and not become known for just one thing. But the man has his principles. A power run-based offense with the goal of putting defenses in conflict with short, rhythm completions in the pass game. He’s an inclusive coach with open meetings, looking for feedback from players, an environment that didn’t seem to exactly exist under Matt Canada.
Word of Caution: In other words, the downside with each suggestion. Hamilton’s Texans finished 30th in points per game in his one year as their OC before the coaching staff got replaced. Even in his three years with the Colts, Indianapolis finished better than 14th just once. But much of that had to do with poor quarterback play, Luck getting injured and the Texans starting Davis Mills in Houston last year. Of course, Pittsburgh doesn’t have a stud and it’s not clear if Hamilton will be able to elevate Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph.
Alex Van Pelt/Coaching Free Agent (Last With Cleveland Browns)
Resume: Pittsburgh native, former Pitt Panther, drafted by Steelers, Bills OC 2009, Packers QB Coach 2014-17, Browns OC 2020-23
Why He Fits: Dot-connecting shouldn’t be the focus here — if the Steelers’ best option is to hire a coach from Mars, so be it — but Van Pelt is a Pittsburgh man. Born here, played his college ball here, drafted here, an eighth-round pick of the Steelers in 1993. He would spend most of his NFL career as a long-time Bills backup. Though it was more than a decade ago, Tomlin and the organization apparently had interest in him before landing on Todd Haley in 2012.
Van Pelt is best known for his time working with Aaron Rodgers, who credited him for his success with Green Bay. Rodgers wasn’t too happy when Van Pelt got fired by the team. He’s spent the last four years with the OC title in Cleveland, though it was head coach Kevin Stefanski who called plays. The Browns let him go last week, cleaning house with their offensive staff despite the great work those coaches did piecing their offense together through four starting quarterbacks and losing RB Nick Chubb and a bunch of offensive tackles. Despite that host of issues, the Browns finished 10th in scoring offense.
Van Pelt is a big believer in offenses beginning with the run game, something that fits with how the Steelers are built. But he’s particular about his quarterbacks too, wanting footwork his way. And though he’d be the OC, he says his strength is coaching quarterbacks and wants to be a “voice of the room.” Again, an apparent contrast to Canada, who let the positional coach do much of the teaching.
Van Pelt also has a West Coast background, which wouldn’t be a large departure from the Steelers’ system. It’s a scheme Pickett prefers.
Word Of Caution: His actual play-calling experience is limited, not doing so during his Browns’ tenure (except for the 2020 Wild Card win over Pittsburgh that Stefanski missed due to COVID). He also prefers a wide zone running scheme, which Pittsburgh isn’t built to implement with RBs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.
Darrell Bevell/Dolphins Pass Game Coordinator + Quarterbacks Coach
Resume: Packers QB Coach 2003-2005, four-time Offensive Coordinator (Vikings 2006-10, Seahawks 2011-17, Lions 2019-20, Jaguars 2021), Jaguars Interim Head Coach 2021
Why He Fits: If Pittsburgh is banking on the ultra-experienced, it would be hard to do better than Bevell. A play caller for roughly 15 years, he brings a wealth of history in that role, even if results have been mixed. There’s a Tomlin connection, which doesn’t hurt, Bevell the OC in Minnesota in 2006 while Tomlin served as DC.
Bevell was part of an electric and creative Miami offense in 2023, the Dolphins finishing second in the league in points and first in yards, total and passing. He’s another coach from the West Coast style but prefers bigger chunks in the passing game than that scheme’s roots. His offenses have largely been balanced but skewed heavier toward the run, and he likes being under center, his WCO background shining through. He’s worked with the likes of Brett Favre, Russell Wilson, and Tua Tagovailoa, all of whom have had success. On paper, he’s everything the team would look for.
Word of Caution: Bevell hasn’t always had success. It’s one reason why he’s bounced from job to job. And away from Miami, would he keep the Dolphins’ exciting and creative offense or would he settle into his too-conservative roots? There’s no Mike McDaniel (or Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle) in Pittsburgh. Of course, there was that play call in Seattle he’ll forever be remembered for.
Klint Kubiak/San Francisco 49ers Passing Game Coordinator
Resume: Vikings OC 2021, Broncos Pass Game Coordinator/QBs Coach 2022, son of Gary Kubiak
Why He Fits: Bringing the San Francisco 49ers’ magic to Pittsburgh. San Fran has arguably football’s best scheme, varied and conflicting and just a headache to deal with no matter your defensive game plan. He cares about process over results and with good coaching and scheme, results will eventually follow. He holds players accountable and wants practice to be “stressful” to make game day easy.
Kubiak is well-regarded around the league and seems destined to be a coordinator again sooner than later. He’s learned from respected offensive minds and though young, only 36, is ready to run the show. He could take Canada’s offensive philosophy but utilize those ideals to their highest degree.
Word of Caution: In his lone year as stand-alone OC, the Vikings finished 14th in points and struggled down the stretch. He doesn’t have a ton of coordinating experience and would be a bit of a projection for the Steelers.
Shane Waldron/Seattle Seahawks Offensive Coordinator
Resume: Patriots Assistant 2002-04, 2008-09, Rams Pass Game Coordinator/QBs Coach 2018-20
Why He Fits:Â (***Update:*** Early Monday morning, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the Chicago Bears are hiring Waldron to be their OC.
This was written before that news but he’s obviously off the Steelers’ list. Still, I’ll keep the blurb on him just to explain the reasoning and what would’ve made him a strong candidate).
It’s no secret that Mike Tomlin respects what Sean McVay has done in Los Angeles and vice versa. And McVay spoke glowingly of Waldron throughout the years before he got hired to run the Seattle Seahawks’ offense. Though Waldron might be viewed as a rigid McVay disciple, he put his own stamp on Seattle’s offense. No team used 13 personnel as much as Seattle did this season and the Seahawks were a versatile group who truly covered every inch of the field, horizontally and vertically. He’d also bring tempo and pace to a Steelers offense that hasn’t utilized much of it.
Waldron is huge on winning the turnover battle and playing complementary football, pairing the run and pass game. He likes to run from under center and build his play-action/shot plays off it. Best of all, he revived QB Geno Smith’s career, the former second-round pick putting up career numbers in 2022. For a Steelers team trying to fix its quarterbacks, Waldron has shown he can do it. Even though he didn’t call the plays with the Rams, McVay let him call preseason games so he has more experience than his resume suggests. Really strong reasons to believe he’d be the team’s guy.
Word Of Caution: Waldron’s offense is known for being complex and he has an expansive playbook that could create early-season growing pains. He might end up staying in Seattle if the Seahawks’ next head coach wants to keep him. Right now, he’s still under contract. In fact, given that this would be a lateral move, OC to OC, Seattle could block Pittsburgh from even interviewing him.
Liam Coen/Kentucky Wildcats Offensive Coordinator + Quarterbacks Coach
Resume: Rams Assistant QBs Coach 2020, Kentucky Wildcats OC 2021, Rams OC 2022, Kentucky OC QBs Coach 2023
Why He Fits: A college coach suggestion. Similar to Waldron, pulling from the McVay tree. Coen has had a weird couple of years, flip-flopping between Kentucky and Los Angeles. Why he has done that, I’m not so sure. But the college results have been there, Kentucky averaging 31 and 29 points in his two years with the program (the Wildcats scored only 20 in the 2022 season without him).
He believes in a quarterback friendly system and “truly marrying” the run and pass games. Cohen likes to mirror his run action with play fakes and play-action and likes varying tempo to keep defenses off balance. Bit of a wild card here but he seems like a bright mind with a balance working with college players and the NFL.
Word of Caution: Coen has limited NFL coordinating experience and doesn’t have the best resume of the group. In ’22 with the Rams, they finished only 27th in scoring, though they played most of the year without WR Cooper Kupp and QB Matthew Stafford. It’s also strange to see him go back and forth from college to the pros.
My “Leaderboard”
Who knows who the hire will be. It could easily be someone not on this list. But based on my research and what Tomlin’s outlined, here’s how I’d rank them as a top three. This isn’t fully a reflection of who I would hire but how I think the Steelers would rank them.
1. Darrell Bevell
2. Alex Van Pelt
3. Pep Hamilton
They’re going to like Bevell’s extensive coordinating experience, his run-first/balance attitude, and the work he did with the Dolphins this year, carrying over some of those ideas to the Steelers. Van Pelt falls behind him due to his lack of actual play-calling experience.
If you’re looking for my personal choice, it was going to go to Waldron. Now he’s off the board. Though his time in Houston wasn’t great, I like Hamilton and he checks the boxes of what the team is searching for.
I’d expect the hire to get made during the first week of February after the Senior/Shrine Bowl. The timeline is just too tight to make it ahead of that time, especially with so many coaching vacancies open around the league, and the Steelers will come back to finalize things after their trip down south. Todd Haley was hired in February 2012, their last outside OC hire.
