Mike McCarthy to Hold First Press Conference as Steelers HC
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Mike McCarthy to Hold First Press Conference as Steelers HC
GREEN BAY, WI - SEPTEMBER 16: Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy talks into his headset in action during an NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers on September 16, 2018 at Lambeau Field, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings played to a 29-29 tie. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire)
Chris Ward·Steelers Now
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3 min read
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SteelerspresidentArt Rooney IIand general managerOmar Khanwill introduceMike McCarthyas the franchise's head coach at a press conference at 2 p.m. on Tuesday in the PNC Champions Club at Acrisure Stadium, the team announced on Monday.
McCarthy, who's 62, was born and raised in the Greenfield neighborhood ofPittsburgh. McCarthy will be the Steelers' fourth head coach since 1969.
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Along with being the oldest head coach in franchise history, McCarthy is breaking another trend. He will be the team's first head coach with an offensive background since Bill Austin, who coached from 1966-68, and the first Steelers head coach with previous NFL head coaching experience since Buddy Parker, who coached the Steelers from 1957-64.
Rooney addressed the decision to hire McCarthy in a story on the Steelers' team website on Sunday.
"He is someone who has a longer track record than many of the other candidates, a winning track record,"Rooney said. "He's been a winner everywhere he's been. Probably just as important for our purposes, the quarterbacks that he's worked with have all been very successful. So he has a proven track record of developing top flight quarterback. Those are the things that maybe stick out the most."
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy looks at his play chart against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Oct 6, 2024. — Charles LeClaire / Imagn ImagesCredit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
McCarthy had previously worked as theKansas City Chiefs' quarterback coach (1995-99) andNew Orleans Saints' offensive coordinator (2000-05). In the two full seasons he played in McCarthy's offense, Prescott threw for over 4,400 yards. Prescott led the league in passing touchdowns (36) in 2023.
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That group of passers McCarthy has coached also includesAaron Rodgers, who will now have to decide if he wants to play a second season in black and gold. However, that relationship wasn't the deciding factor for Rooney.
"We decided to bring Mike on because we believe that he's the right coach for us at this point to help lead us to a championship," Rooney said. "We don't know what Aaron's plans are right now, and that did not weigh heavily in the decision. We'll see where Aaron is, and we've left the door open, but obviously we all have to sit down and see if that makes sense. So that'll happen sometime in the next month or so.
"But the decision was made based on Mike being the coach we want, and it really had very little to do with whether Aaron is going to be back or not."
If Rodgers doesn't return, the Steelers still rosterWill Howard, an Ohio State product and sixth-round draft pick last year, and veteranMason Rudolph. The Steelers also own the No. 21 overall pick in April's 2026 NFL Draft, which is slated to be held in Pittsburgh.
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"He likes Will Howard, thinks Will has tremendous upside and is looking forward to working with him," Rooney said. "Obviously feels like Mason can be a contributor. … I think Mike was very comfortable with the quarterback room and the possibilities with the quarterback room."
