The Pittsburgh Steelers have added their third coach to attend training camp through the Bill Walsh Fellowship Program, one created to give opportunities to minority coaches. The team has already brought on Gregory Bowser II and Bam Bryant through this program for the 2024 training camp. Now, Jordan Pulou is joining their ranks.
Pulou has spent the past two years as the defensive coordinator at Snow College, a community college in Utah. Snow College may sound familiar to some Steelers fans, and that’s because Jaylen Warren and Brett Keisel both played there. Before that, Pulou spent a handful of months as an assistant at the school, as well as acting in an assistant role at HBCU Morgan State University for nearly three years.
Pulou may be young, but that’s why he’s a perfect candidate for this program. Its purpose is to help increase the number of minority coaches in the NFL, and while it doesn’t guarantee a full-time job, it does provide weeks of experience and teaching that could prove invaluable. Pulou is Polynesian, a minority group not heavily represented in NFL coaching spheres, despite the large amount of amazing Polynesian players. Even if coaches like Pulou don’t immediately end up in the NFL, they could use this opportunity to make that leap one day.
What’s really interesting about Pulou is that the video he submitted to be considered for this program can be found on YouTube. It’s an awesome look into the mind of a young coach and shows the impact Pulou has had on Snow College as their defensive coordinator. He even explains what he feels like he will gain through participating in this program, showing where he hopes to grow as a coach.
“There’s two concepts that really come to mind when I’m asked what I can gain from the Bill Walsh Coaching Program, and that’s growth and value,” Pulou said. “When it comes down to the nitty-gritty of how you can grow as a coach, you gotta develop as a teacher. I believe this opportunity allows me to develop as a teacher by increasing my football knowledge, by connecting with the best players and coaches and seeing how they work together and build relationships to accomplish their goals.”
Pulou’s philosophy being rooted in teaching should make him a perfect fit to learn under Mike Tomlin, who is known as one of the league’s great motivators. Tomlin may not have an extensive coaching tree, but his wealth of football knowledge makes him one of the NFL’s greatest minds.
Pulou will likely be with the Steelers through training camp, but hopefully he can take this chance and use it to further his career. Maybe one day he’ll even circle back around to the Steelers’ staff.
