Potential OC Candidates for the Steelers in 2024

[ianv2012]

I wouldn't want Kingsbury. He was barely over .500 at Texas Tech with Pat Mahomes at QB. He was right place right time for the Arizona job. They decided to draft Murray and hired a coach they thought could get the most out of him. His air raid style offense may have been ahead of the curve 10 years ago but not anymore.

I do like that he's on the list though because it does show they are looking out of the box.

I look at it from a different perspective. Perhaps he was part of molding Mahomes, considering Mahomes was not highly rated in recruiting, and that's how he ended up at Texas Tech. It's not as though TT gets a lot of talent, and other than Mahomes there wasn't much talent at TT during his tenure (I believe Keke Coutee was his top receiver).

As for his time at Arizona, passing game actually wasn't his most impressive improvement for that team. It was the running game, because the year before he took over the Cardinals were dead last in rushing offense with like 1400yds. His first year as head coach they jumped to 8th in the NFL with like 1900, and followed that up the next season by being 7th in rushing with like 2200 rushing yards.

Do I think he's a good head coach? Perhaps not, but I definitely think he can be a great OC.

 

[ianv2012]

https://x.com/jjones9/status/1750857850719445439?s=20

Steelers interviewing Texans QB Coach Jerrod Johnson, apparently he's also been a hot name for OC this year. And obviously, he's spent time in our training camp and practice squad back in the day coming out of Texas A&M

 

[steelhurt]

Jerrod Johnson did work with CJ here in Houston but come on man, be serious. We need someone who is experienced with designing and calling plays.
That would be Klint Kubiak SF passing coordinator or Bobby Slowik Texans OC.
This team does not need a Jerrod Johnson or a Thomas Brown, guys who can be bullied by Tomlin.

 

[Drink IRON City]

Jerrod Johnson did work with CJ here in Houston but come on man, be serious. We need someone who is experienced with designing and calling plays.
That would be Klint Kubiak SF passing coordinator or Bobby Slowik Texans OC.
This team does not need a Jerrod Johnson or a Thomas Brown, guys who can be bullied by Tomlin.

We fired one in mid-season, we don't need another of the same inkling.


Salute the nation

 

[ZonaBurgh]

This team does not need a Jerrod Johnson or a Thomas Brown, guys who can be bullied by Tomlin.

Coach Tomlin disagrees.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Jerrod Johnson did work with CJ here in Houston but come on man, be serious. We need someone who is experienced with designing and calling plays.
That would be Klint Kubiak SF passing coordinator or Bobby Slowik Texans OC.
This team does not need a Jerrod Johnson or a Thomas Brown, guys who can be bullied by Tomlin.

They need to do like they did with Haley, the FO does the hiring and tells Shades “You don’t say jack **** to him except ‘good morning’.”

 

[keslerclan]

What I'm having trouble with is Tomlin stating that he has certain credentials he's looking for in an OC and that there may be more changes to other coaching positions.
He said he wants someone with NFL OC experience, which I thought would severely limit the options BUT then goes on to interview a guy with a worse production than Canada.
He said he prefers someone who has QB experience, either as a coach or a player BUT then interviews a RB coach, turned awful OC.

I almost threw up when I read that Mike Mitchell wants to come coach here (I hope he doesn't). Even worse, our DC gets re-signed after watching how awful our defense was this year. Now the press is saying we are likely to resign the OL coach? Pat Meyer has not raised anyone's game since he's been here. Everyone we have has regressed as a pass blocker, including our first round pick Jones. We paid free agents that were "better than average" to come here and get worse too. Heads up, any new OC worth a hoot will want to bring in some real talent to help them succeed. You don't hire that way. An OC is the "head coach" of the offense.

I'm hoping for Zac Robinson or Kubiak but why would they want to come to a team with a guy who has zero success as an OL coach?

Head coaches don't have to do everything. Hell, the second longest tenured HC (JIm Hairball, I believe) had ZERO experience as an OC or DC (he was a special teams guy) and he's hired and fired more coordinators than anyone in NFL history (never being content to just be good).

The way I see it, if HCMT is gonna be here, he SHOULD hire guys that make him look good, not guys he has experience with who will just take direction. He himself only had one year as a coordinator before he was hired. How is he expected to know much about an offense?

I hope the hiring process is all smoke and mirrors and we end up with ANYONE on our coaching staff that has something better than an "average" pedigree.

 

[SteelerFan448]

Jerrod Johnson did work with CJ here in Houston but come on man, be serious. We need someone who is experienced with designing and calling plays.
That would be Klint Kubiak SF passing coordinator or Bobby Slowik Texans OC.
This team does not need a Jerrod Johnson or a Thomas Brown, guys who can be bullied by Tomlin.

Maybe we could get him here as a new QB coach. I think Tomlin could lure a better OC if he gives him some ability to make some decisions on the offensive coaching staff. Also, if they keep dragging this out, it could be because Kubiak is the top target and they're waiting for SF to lose.

 

[troymania]

Klint Kubiak would be choice #1 closely followed by Darell Bevel. Zac Robinson would be a distant third. Shanahan or McVay is the way to go.

 

[steelhurt]

Maybe we could get him here as a new QB coach. I think Tomlin could lure a better OC if he gives him some ability to make some decisions on the offensive coaching staff. Also, if they keep dragging this out, it could be because Kubiak is the top target and they're waiting for SF to lose.

I’m thinking the same with Kubiak. I don’t know if Klint would want to bring along his brother to coach QBs, idk, but I’d be ok with Jerrod Johnson as the QB coach.
Jerrod did an amazing job with young CJ and I don’t know if these guys can make lateral moves.
Do you know if they can 448?
Also, is there a rule that a team cannot talk with another teams assistant coaches while they are still in the playoffs?

 

[Shane Falco]

Alex Tanney was just let go by the Iggles. The Stillers should reach out to him to try to replace Sullivan as QB Coach

 

[ZonaBurgh]

Saw where Kingsbury is out of the running.

 

[SteelerFan448]

I’m thinking the same with Kubiak. I don’t know if Klint would want to bring along his brother to coach QBs, idk, but I’d be ok with Jerrod Johnson as the QB coach.
Jerrod did an amazing job with young CJ and I don’t know if these guys can make lateral moves.
Do you know if they can 448?
Also, is there a rule that a team cannot talk with another teams assistant coaches while they are still in the playoffs?

Generally no, but teams can allow coaches out of their contracts to make moves. I think it's unlikely, just thinking outside of the box. There are windows for interviewing playoff coaches, I just don't know what they are off the top of my head.

 

[Aussie_Steeler]

I’m thinking the same with Kubiak. I don’t know if Klint would want to bring along his brother to coach QBs, idk, but I’d be ok with Jerrod Johnson as the QB coach.
Jerrod did an amazing job with young CJ and I don’t know if these guys can make lateral moves.
Do you know if they can 448?
Also, is there a rule that a team cannot talk with another teams assistant coaches while they are still in the playoffs?

Even if a coach can make lateral moves - why would he want to make that move?

 

[MT~Forged]

“If Robinson can't recognize that the Steelers organization offers him a better career opportunity, one of two things is true. Tomlin repels top coaching talent by meddling in schemes and personnel decisions, or Mr. Rooney and the Steelers organization need to accept that the current rate for coaching talent has increased.”

Mr Kaboly, both things CAN be true at the same time. We know for a fact that #1 is true, #2 is speculation, but could be true too.

 

[xjx]

Tomlin "knows" Jerrod, so that makes him the frontrunner. Playcall experience? But he would love the OC job, and Tomlin can bully someone like that. He would be cheaper than other more qualified candidates, and Rooney likes that.

Please welcome Jerrod as our new OC. I hope he can overcome the overbearing Tomlin.

 

[Paul G]

Zac Robinson joining R Morris in Atlanta as the OC for the falcons

 

[ZonaBurgh]

The longer this drags out, I'm really hoping that they're waiting for someone from the remaining 4 playoff teams. (Kubiak)
My biggest fear is that it will be Jerrod Johnson running Mike Tomlins playbook.

 

[SteelerFan448]

“If Robinson can't recognize that the Steelers organization offers him a better career opportunity, one of two things is true. Tomlin repels top coaching talent by meddling in schemes and personnel decisions, or Mr. Rooney and the Steelers organization need to accept that the current rate for coaching talent has increased.”

Mr Kaboly, both things CAN be true at the same time. We know for a fact that #1 is true, #2 is speculation, but could be true too.

Is this about Robinson from the Rams? If so, he probably just wanted to work with a coach he was just coaching with. Pretty simple.

My biggest fear is that it will be Jerrod Johnson running Mike Tomlins playbook.

I have bigger fears than Johnson. Leftwich or some of the other Pittsburgh connect candidates. Frank Reich or other older coaches who will be resting on their laurels.

 

[steelhurt]

Jerrod Johnson has no experience designing offensive schemes and calling plays at the NFL level.
He worked with CJ here in Houston but the real offensive mind here is Bobby Slowik.
The other guy Thomas Brown his track record in Carolina with the first pick of the draft Bryce Young was horrible.
One thing they do have in common, both can be intimidated and bullied by Tomlin.
I sure hope it’s not headed in this direction but sure smells like it.

 

[Phoenix1172]

I'm trying to not get my hopes up. If what I read was correct, Robinson turned down the Steelers request for an interview. The team can put out all the few good statements they want about all these top candidates they want to interview, but who knows where it goes. These guys are all very connected. All they need to do is make a few phone calls, if they don't know already, to find out what they need to know about being an OC on the team working for Tomlin and who is really in charge.

I'm not a Tomlin hater, I'm just tired of the lack of better than average success. I look at the teams being raided for their coaching staff, which indicates actual respect, not just media respect, and find Tomlin's coaching tree strangely lacking. Especially, since he's revered in the media as such an amazing coach for not having a losing season in his almost two decades as a Steelers coach. That tells me

 

[Phoenix1172]

Sorry, my message posted mid thought. The lack of a Tomlin coaching tree with people frequently moving on to better jobs is most likely a huge red flag for anyone of quality with options (Flores last year doesn't count). Nobody with bigger ambitions is going to risk going to a place where they could do damage to their career, if they have other options, working for a coach with a history of his guys not moving on to better jobs (at least not without the pay to make it worth the risk).

 

[BLITZ]

Jon Gruden would b awesome

 

[SteelerFan448]

I'm trying to not get my hopes up. If what I read was correct, Robinson turned down the Steelers request for an interview. The team can put out all the few good statements they want about all these top candidates they want to interview, but who knows where it goes. These guys are all very connected. All they need to do is make a few phone calls, if they don't know already, to find out what they need to know about being an OC on the team working for Tomlin and who is really in charge.

I'm not a Tomlin hater, I'm just tired of the lack of better than average success. I look at the teams being raided for their coaching staff, which indicates actual respect, not just media respect, and find Tomlin's coaching tree strangely lacking. Especially, since he's revered in the media as such an amazing coach for not having a losing season in his almost two decades as a Steelers coach. That tells me

I think more than anything, the lack of a coaching tree has to be a concern for an up and coming coach. I would guess most OCs and DCs want a chance to be a HC one day and Tomlin hasn't had anyone do this in 17 years. His assistants don't even get interviews and it's rare for position coaches to get promotions as well. This along with a big hole at QB and an offensive unit who's effort appears to match whoever is at QB will be a deterrent.

To overcome this, the Steelers will obviously have to pay a ton. Tomlin will also need to give the OC autonomy over the offense and I would also allow the OC to hire an offensive staff.

So far they've only interviewed Brown and Johnson. Brown seems like he may be a better candidate for a HC position one day rather than OC and Johnson is a relatively hot name on the interview circuit right now.

 

[BLITZ]

I think more than anything, the lack of a coaching tree has to be a concern for an up and coming coach. I would guess most OCs and DCs want a chance to be a HC one day and Tomlin hasn't had anyone do this in 17 years. His assistants don't even get interviews and it's rare for position coaches to get promotions as well. This along with a big hole at QB and an offensive unit who's effort appears to match whoever is at QB will be a deterrent.

To overcome this, the Steelers will obviously have to pay a ton. Tomlin will also need to give the OC autonomy over the offense and I would also allow the OC to hire an offensive staff.

So far they've only interviewed Brown and Johnson. Brown seems like he may be a better candidate for a HC position one day rather than OC and Johnson is a relatively hot name on the interview circuit right now.

Yep. for the head coach position, Pittsburgh has to be the #1 choice for any coach. it is basically a lifetime position. Assistant coaches? not so much.