Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers scout Phil Kreidler has announced his retirement. Furman, his alma mater, shared the story earlier Wednesday.
“Furman football’s Philip Kreidler ’87 has retired following a highly successful career as a scout with the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the National Football League’s most storied and successful organizations.
Kreidler joined the Steelers in 1992 and in 2013 was promoted to the position of college scouting coordinator. In 33 years with Pittsburgh, he played a key role in the franchise winning 328 games, including two Super Bowls (2005 & ’08), making four Super Bowl appearances, claiming 15 division championships (Central & North), and capturing four AFC titles.”
Kreidler most recently held the title of senior scouting assistant, given to him after Omar Khan became GM in May 2022. Previously, he held the title of college scouting coordinator. One of the longest-tenured people in the Steelers’ building, Kreidler began his career with Pittsburgh in 1992, the same year Bill Cowher was hired to replace Chuck Noll. He played a key role in scouting and developing two Super Bowl-winning rosters, the 2005 and 2008 teams bringing home the franchise’s fifth and sixth Lombardi trophies.
Before his scouting career, Kreidler played free safety at Furman during the 1980s.
The team’s hiring of scout Jim Noel was one indication someone like Kreidler could be retiring. Noel will be responsible for the Northeast Region, an area Kreidler covered this past year on the scouting trail. Our 2024 Pro Day tracker listed Kreidler attending UConn, Pitt, Syracuse, and Louisville. But he was someone who travelled all over east of the Mississippi, covering the South, Midwest, and coastal regions.
It marks more turnover in the Steelers’ scouting staff post-Kevin Colbert, a normally never-changing group that’s undergone plenty of changes since Khan took over. Some of that is natural and the Steelers’ continuity in their scouting department was rare. But in recent years, names like Kreidler, Mark Gorscak, Rick Reiprish, Dave Petett, Mike Butler, and Brandon Hunt have departed. Some have retired while some have pursued other opportunities in football.
