Running backs coach Eddie Faulkner served as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ interim offensive coordinator last season after they fired Matt Canada. Despite doing a commendable job, the team didn’t even consider him as its next full-time coordinator. He is back in his previous role, squarely as the running backs coach for the Steelers. But he’s not complaining, nor is he looking for an escape hatch.
“I’m happy to be here. This is Pittsburgh, Pa. I have a great boss, I work with some great people, Faulkner said yesterday at minicamp, via Ray Porter Jr. of Urban Media Today on Twitter. “I have a great room that I worked hard to build, to be quite honest with you, so I like to see them reap the fruits of their labor and be here and be part of it. I understand where I’m at in my career. I obviously have ambitions, but it’s not something I’m thinking about daily in terms of, ‘I gotta get out’”.
The first game after the Steelers fired Canada, they put up over 400 of total offense yards for the first time in years. Unfortunately, the offense co-coordinated by Faulkner and Mike Sullivan proceeded to lose the next three games, amidst quarterback injury. But the Steelers rallied to win the final three games of the year and advance to the postseason.
Despite the offense finishing the season on an upswing under QB Mason Rudolph, head coach Mike Tomlin announced that neither Eddie Faulkner nor Mike Sullivan would be part of the search for a new offensive coordinator at the end of the year.
The Steelers proceeded to hire a new offensive coordinator with Sullivan moving to the role of senior offensive assistant. Faulkner, on the other hand, remained at his old post as running backs coach. Now he is working under Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator and forging forward. He still sees a coordinating role in his future but is remaining patient. And now he has experience and the confidence to know he can do it.
“I don’t see how it can hurt”, Faulkner said when asked if his interim experience will help him land such a job in the future. “But [beauty will always be in the eyes of the beholder] from that standpoint. We’ll see how that goes, but I’m really happy with what I’m doing now”.
He also said that he believes he has better rapport with players up and down the roster now. Faulkner talked about being more sure of himself and his abilities after handling the coordinating tasks. “I left there with that experience saying that I can do this”.
If he has a coordinating job in his future, though, he will have to wait his turn. I imagine Arthur Smith will be here at least a couple years. But perhaps if the Steelers lose him to a head coaching job, they may consider Faulkner to succeed him then.
