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Steelers Arrange HC Interview With Brian Flores

By | at January 17, 2026 10:55 pm

Brian Flores spent one season with the Steelers prior to his current Vikings tenure. A potential return to Pittsburgh as the team’s next head coach will be something to watch for over the coming days.

Flores was one of several coaches to receive a Steelers interview request on Wednesday. To little surprise, that will result in a meeting between the parties shortly. Flores will conduct an in-person interview with Pittsburgh this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports (video link).

After being fired by the Dolphins following the 2021 season, Flores worked under Mike Tomlin as Pittsburgh’s linebackers coach while also holding the title of senior defensive assistant. He then took over as Minnesota’s defensive coordinator; a three-year run in that capacity has helped boost Flores’ head coaching stock. The Vikings see working out a new contract in this case as their top offseason priority.

Flores’ pact recently expired, meaning Minnesota cannot block him from speaking with interested teams regarding their own DC positions. The 44-year-old has been connected to multiple coordinator and head coaching vacancies during the 2026 hiring cycle. Pittsburgh interest in particular comes as no surprise given his connection to the team.

The Steelers have gone with coaches in their 30s who have a defensive background with each of their past three HC hires. In the case of Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Tomlin, none had been an NFL head coach before they arrived in Pittsburgh. Flores checks one of those boxes as a current D-coordinator, but as a former head coach he does not entirely match the Steelers’ long-running blueprint. Owner Art Rooney II has left the door open to hiring a coach with an offensive background, but the team’s early list of candidates certainly suggests someone like Flores will at least receive strong consideration.

Via PFR’s HC Search Tracker, here is an updated look at how things stand in Pittsburgh:

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Buccaneers Interview Steelers’ Danny Smith For ST Coordinator

By | at January 16, 2026 2:19 pm

The end of the Mike Tomlin era may lead to the end of the Danny Smith era in Pittsburgh. Tomlin resigned after a 19-year head coaching run on Tuesday, leaving Smith’s future as the Steelers’ special teams coordinator up in the air.

If Smith leaves Pittsburgh, he could land on his feet in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers held a virtual interview with Smith for their open ST coordinator position on Friday. He joins Craig Aukerman, Anthony Levine Sr., Michael Clay and Jett Modkins as known candidates for the job.

Tampa Bay is looking for a replacement for Thomas McGaughey, whom head coach Todd Bowles fired last week. McGaughey lasted just two seasons in Tampa Bay, whereas Smith has been a fixture in Pittsburgh. The gum-chewing 72-year-old has worked in the same role since 2013.

Previously with Buffalo for three years and Washington for nine, Smith has been an NFL special teams coordinator for 25 straight seasons. Adding in a four-year stint with Philadelphia from 1995-98, Smith has 29 years’ experience as an ST coordinator in the league.

Should he join the Buccaneers, Smith may end up on the same coaching staff as Mike McDaniel in 2026. The Bucs interviewed McDaniel in person for their offensive coordinator gig on Friday, Jenna Laine of ESPN reports. As PFR’s Nikhil Mehta noted on Wednesday, the former head coach has been popular across the league since the Dolphins fired him on Jan. 8. As is the case with the Buccaneers, the Lions and Eagles are considering McDaniel for the OC role. Meanwhile, the Falcons, Ravens, Browns and Titans are interested in hiring him as a head coach.

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Chris Shula Arranges Ravens, Steelers, Dolphins HC Interviews

By | at January 16, 2026 9:02 am

With preparation for the team’s divisional round game reaching its conclusion, a number of Rams staffers will spend Friday conducting initial interviews for head coaching positions. That includes Chris Shula. 

Los Angeles’ defensive coordinator is among the most popular candidates on the coaching market this year. All but one team with a HC vacancy has submitted an interview request in his case, and Shula figures to be busy over the coming days. He will speak with the Ravens, Steelers and Dolphins today, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports.

All three of those teams have cast a wide net in terms of candidates, but it comes as little surprise Shula is a target in each case. The 39-year-old has drawn praise for his work leading the Rams’ defense over the past two years. Prior to replacing Raheem Morris as the team’s DC, Shula held a number of roles in Los Angeles. He also has one year of defensive coordinator experience at the college level (albeit with Division-III program John Carroll).

The grandson of Don Shula, Chris is one of many staffers with a defensive background who has drawn considerable interest in this year’s cycle. That, coupled with his age, would certainly make him a logical fit with Pittsburgh in particular. The Steelers opted for a first-time head coach in their 30s with experience on defense for each of their last three HC hires (Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, Mike Tomlin). Shula is among the top options available who fit that description.

Pittsburgh could still take the route of an offensive coach, with the team having shown interest in candidates from that side of the ball as well. The same is also true of Baltimore; the team’s search for a John Harbaugh replacement includes a wide range of targets. Several ex-head coaches have interviewed already, but less experienced staffers have received a look as well. Shula is no doubt one of the main candidates on the latter front for Baltimore and other teams.

Don Shula spent 26 years of his illustrious head coaching career in Miami, so Chris would face the challenge of filling very large shoes in the event he were to take on HC duties there. The Dolphins have a long-running streak of hiring first-time coaches, and tapping one with a defensive background would mark a notable departure from the Mike McDaniel era. With longtime Packers exec Jon-Eric Sullivan now in place as general manager, many have pointed to Jeff Hafley as a likely Dolphins hire. Miami will of course speak with other candidates, however.

Per NFL rules, each of these interviews must be conducted remotely. The first round of meetings for staffers in Shula’s position (those set to participate in this weekend’s games) must be completed before the end of the divisional round. As such, a full list of his potential destinations will soon emerge.

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Steelers Request HC Interview With 49ers OC Klay Kubiak

By | at January 15, 2026 5:19 pm

Klint Kubiak is one of the most popular names in this year’s hiring cycle. Now, his brother is starting to generate some interest. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Steelers have requested an interview with 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak for their head coaching vacancy.

Kubiak started his NFL coaching career in 2021, when he joined Kyle Shanahan‘s 49ers staff as a defensive quality control coach. He quickly earned a promotion to assistant quarterbacks coach, and after two years in that role, he was named the team’s offensive passing game specialist.

The 49ers operated without an offensive coordinator after Mike McDaniel left for the Dolphins in 2022. But with Shanahan deciding to shake up his staff last offseason, Kubiak earned a promotion to offensive coordinator.

The 49ers offense improved their points total in 2025 despite dealing with a number of injuries on offense. The team had to turn to backup QB Mac Jones for nearly half their games, with the signal-caller guiding the squad to a 5-3 record. Former first-round receiver Ricky Pearsall found himself in and out of the lineup, and tight end George Kittle missed a handful of games. Plus, the 49ers navigated the entire season without one of their highest-paid offensive weapons in Brandon Aiyuk.

Thanks to the surprising showing from the depleted 49ers offense, Kubiak is now generating interest from the Steelers for their head coaching vacancy. His father, Gary Kubiak, had multiple stints as an NFL head coach, while his brother, Klint Kubiak, has been connected to nearly every vacancy after guiding the Seahawks offense to one of the league’s top performances in 2025.

Now, Klay will garner his first HC interview, and he joins a growing list of candidates to replace Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh. While Kubiak doesn’t have the same resume as some of his competitors for the job, the Steelers haven’t been afraid of hiring inexperienced coaches in the past. Tomlin only served one season as a defensive coordinator before earning Pittsburgh’s HC job.

Kubiak is now the eighth coach to garner an interview request from the Steelers:

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Steelers Request HC Interview With Packers DC Jeff Hafley

By | at January 15, 2026 1:02 pm

The Steelers requested to interview Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley for their head coaching vacancy, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Hafley, 46, has become one of the most popular head coaching candidates in this year’s hiring cycle. He came up as a defensive backs coach with multiple college programs before making the jump to the NFL in 2012. After seven seasons with three different teams, he returned to college as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator, which he quickly parlayed into a four-year stint as Boston College’s head coach.

In 2024, the Packers made a bold move to fire defensive coordinator Joe Barry, despite his solid results in his three years in charge. They installed Hafley as his replacement in the hopes that he could turn a good unit into a great one.

He succeeded. In Hafley’s debut year, the Packers finished sixth in points allowed and fifth in yards allowed, both significant improvements from their 2023 rankings. They took a step back to 11th and 12th this year, though losing Micah Parsons – arguably the best defensive player in the NFL – to a torn ACL certainly contribute to some of their struggles down the stretch.

Hafley’s players have generally given him rave reviews, specifically regarding his ability to build relationships with his players. That was a hallmark of Mike Tomlin‘s 19 years in Pittsburgh and something the franchise will likely look for in his successor. He has also worked with both Matt LaFleur and Kyle Shanahan, giving him some connections he can call on when building his staff. His recent history at Boston College may also give him a stronger chance of bringing some college coaching talent to the NFL.

Hafley has also received head coaching interest from the Cardinals, Falcons, Raiders, Dolphins, Titans, and Giants, though that last job no longer seems to be available. Here’s a full overview of the Steelers’ current candidates:

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Steelers Submit HC Interview Request For Ejiro Evero

By | at January 15, 2026 10:46 am

The Steelers are slightly behind other teams in terms of seeking out candidates for their head coaching vacancy. They continue to move quickly in establishing a list of initial targets, though.

Pittsburgh has requested an interview with Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. That represents the fifth active NFL DC to receive a slip from the Steelers. Owner Art Rooney II left the door open to a deviation in approach with respect to finding Mike Tomlin‘s replacement during yesterday’s remarks, but for now a blueprint appears to be in place which is similar to previous Pittsburgh searches.

Tomlin, just like Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll before him, was a young coaching candidate with a defensive background at the time of his hire. No member of that trio had been a head coach at the NFL level when they took charge of the Steelers. Evero fits the same profile, and it will be interesting to see if he or another one of the staffers in a similar position emerges as a finalist.

Evero signed an extension with the Panthers prior to the start of the 2025 campaign. The 45-year-old can be expected to continue his Carolina tenure into next season and beyond as a result, unless of course he lands a head coaching opportunity. Evero has received interview requests from the Falcons and Raiders as part of their ongoing searches. Interest on the Steelers’ part has now emerged as well, confirming Evero’s status as one of the top defensive coaches on the market.

After one season as the Broncos’ DC, Evero took the same position in Carolina. Results have varied over the past three seasons, with Carolina undergoing a number of roster changes during that span. In 2023, though, Evero’s unit ranked fourth in the league in points allowed. The Panthers finished mid-pack in both total and scoring defense this season en route to a postseason appearance.

Here is an updated look at where things stand early in the Steelers’ search:

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Lions To Conduct Zac Robinson OC Interview; Team Requests Arthur Smith Meeting

By | at January 15, 2026 9:53 am

The Lions‘ search for a new offensive coordinator continues to expand. Current Falcons OC Zac Robinson is the latest candidate to line up an interview.

Robinson will speak with Detroit today about the position, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. That makes two teams interested in his case. The Buccaneers have already interviewed Robinson for their OC opening. With a Todd Monken reunion seemingly unlikely, Tampa Bay could show continued interest in his case.

The Falcons in the process of finding a new head coach and general manager. Once Raheem Morris‘ replacement is in place, several new staffers will no doubt be brought in. Knowing a change of scenery is likely, Robinson is exploring his options on the coaching market. A Lions agreement would make plenty of sense in his case.

From 2019-23, Robinson worked on the Rams’ staff. That time included a pair of seasons working alongside quarterback Jared Goff. A Detroit hire would thus pave the way for a reunion between Robinson and Goff with the Lions looking to rebound from a poor showing during John Morton‘s one-and-done campaign in the offensive coordinator role.

Detroit is also among the teams interested in Arthur Smith. An interview request has been submitted for the Steelers OC, Rapoport reports. Smith has been connected to multiple head coaching openings, but a lateral move to a new coordinator gig could be in store as well. Pittsburgh will have a new head coach relatively soon, so considerable movement elsewhere on the staff is likely.

Smith’s tenure as head coach of the Falcons produced three straight 7-10 seasons, but it was preceded by a Titans OC gig which boosted his stock. For the past two seasons, the 43-year-old has called plays for the Steelers. Pittsburgh has finished 16th and 15th in scoring during Smith’s time with the team. Stronger production would be expected in the case of the Lions, a team which flourished under Ben Johnson and is looking to duplicate his level of success.

Detroit has previously been linked to Jake Peetz and Tee Martin as OC candidates. The Lions have also set up interviews with former head coaches in the form of Mike McDaniel and Mike Kafka. Robinson’s meeting will add to the list of targets, and it will be interesting to see if Smith pursues an interview amongst head coaching interest.

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Teams Contact Steelers On Mike Tomlin’s Rights; Tomlin Not Planning To Coach In 2026

By | at January 14, 2026 10:40 pm

As the Saints’ Sean Payton situation reminded earlier this decade, a coach stepping away while under contract can be valuable to a team. New Orleans fetched first- and second-round picks from Denver in a 2023 trade for Payton’s rights. The Steelers will be in a similar position after Mike Tomlin‘s exit.

Teams are already seeing if a Tomlin trade is viable. Clubs have reached out to the Steelers following Tomlin’s decision to resign, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Calls came in hours after Tomlin’s exit, and while this process should be relevant in the not-too-distant future, Rapoport indicates the interested teams were told Tomlin is not planning to coach in 2026.

[RELATED: Art Rooney II Addresses Steelers’ Post-Tomlin Situation]

One interested team was told Tuesday Tomlin was not planning to take an interview, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson tweets. It appears that view may apply to the full 2026 market. Tomlin gave Art Rooney II no indication (via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac) he plans to coach in the near future, potentially tabling any trade market for multiple offseasons.

Tomlin, 53, is believed to have drawn interest from CBS, ESPN, FOX and NBC for an analyst role. Two years remain on Tomlin’s Steelers contract, something that would need to be revisited if/when Tomlin wants to coach again.

The Steelers have seen this scenario play out before. Bill Cowher walked away after the 2006 season, heading to CBS. Cowher, however, remains with the network nearly two decades later. Cowher was 49 when he stepped down after 15 years as Steelers HC. Tomlin was believed to have having thoughts about walking away before the 2025 season began, and his quick exit following Pittsburgh’s wild-card loss to Houston all but confirmed this has been on the longtime leader’s mind for a while.

A report before the Steelers’ wild-card game indicated TV interest had emerged, with Tomlin having a standing invite from networks if he decided to leave coaching. It will be interesting to see where Tomlin lands. Payton joined FOX shortly after his Saints exit, but rumors about his 2023 destination swirled over the ensuing months. Payton became a coveted coaching commodity on the 2023 carousel, eventually ending up with the Broncos. Payton, 59 when hired in Denver, has led the Broncos to back-to-back playoff berths. His team will debut in these playoffs as the No. 1 seed Saturday.

It took less of a trade package for the Buccaneers to land one-and-done CBS game analyst Bruce Arians in 2019. Tampa Bay sent Arizona a sixth-round pick and collected a seventh in return for the then-66-year-old HC’s rights. Tomlin would fetch more in a swap. While he does not bring a play-calling acumen Payton did, the quotable ex-Steelers leader established one of the highest floors in coaching history by going 19 years without a losing season. Tomlin ventured to 13 playoff brackets, won eight AFC North titles and appeared in two Super Bowls. The Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII, giving Tomlin a strong chance at the Hall of Fame down the road.

While the Steelers could have a chance to recoup notable draft capital for Tomlin’s rights — possibly as soon as 2027 — they must conduct their first coaching search in 19 years. Brian Flores, who stopped through Pittsburgh in 2022 as Tomlin gave him a rebound opportunity as linebackers coach (with his discrimination lawsuit in its early stages), has come up as a name to monitor. The Steelers also looked into Marcus Freeman, but he is staying at Notre Dame.

Rams DC Chris Shula came up as a connected name in Pittsburgh as well, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Shula, 39, has received interview requests from the Cardinals, Ravens, Raiders, Dolphins, Giants and Titans thus far. The popular candidate could be added in Pittsburgh soon, but no requests have come out. The Steelers have traditionally gone young with their HCs, hiring Tomlin and Cowher at 34.

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Steelers Request HC Interviews With Jesse Minter, Brian Flores, Anthony Weaver

By | at January 14, 2026 10:35 pm

The Steelers continue adding candidates in their search for a new head coach. They’ve requested interviews with Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Vikings D-coordinator Brian Flores and Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver, per reports from Tom Pelissero of NFL Network and Dianna Russini of The Athletic.

Looking for a replacement for Mike Tomlin, whose 19-year run with the franchise ended Tuesday, the Steelers previously sent out interview requests for Rams assistants Chris Shula and Nate Scheelhaase. Aside from Scheelhaase, all of the Steelers’ early candidates come with a defensive background. The same was true of Tomlin when the Steelers hired him in January 2007.

Minter doesn’t have any head coaching experience, but his strong work as an assistant has made him a hot commodity across the league. All nine teams with a head coaching vacancy have either requested an interview or have conducted one with the 42-year-old, who has effectively teamed with Jim Harbaugh over the past few seasons.

Minter was Harbaugh’s D-coordinator at Michigan from 2022-23. He followed Harbaugh to the Chargers after a national championship-winning campaign with the Wolverines. The Chargers’ defense has ranked near the top of the league in back-to-back seasons under Minter. The unit finished 2024 first in scoring and 11th in yards, and it ranked ninth in scoring and fifth in yards this season.

Flores, who went 24-25 as the Dolphins’ head coach from 2019-21, was on Tomlin’s staff in Pittsburgh in 2022. He served as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach that year. Flores then left to run the Vikings’ defense, a group that finished 2025 third in yards and seventh in points. Flores’ contract is now up after three successful seasons, but head coach Kevin O’Connell has made it known that retaining him is a high priority. However, the Vikings will have to fend off teams that consider Flores a head coaching candidate and others that want him as a defensive coordinator.

Weaver has already held head coaching interviews with the Cardinals, Falcons and Ravens in the past week. A former defensive lineman with the Ravens and Texans from 2002-08, Weaver has coached with those two teams and the Jets, Bills, Browns and Dolphins since 2012. He was the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator from 2024-25, but with head coach Mike McDaniel out, Weaver’s future in Miami is uncertain. Even if the 45-year-old doesn’t leave the Dolphins for a head coaching job, he could be an assistant elsewhere in 2026.

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