Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase gave the Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Tomlin vibes in their virtual interview with him, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette .
Tomlin, who was 34 at the time, blew away Dan Rooney when he interviewed for the head coach position in 2007. Scheelhaase is 35 and considered an up-and-coming coach in league circles.
"I'm not going to say he's the top guy because some of these candidates still have to interview in person with [Art Rooney II], and he's the one who will make the call," Dulac wrote. "But I will say Scheelhaase was an impressive interview, which fits with what other NFL people think of him. Hmmm, so was Tomlin…"
The Rams' 20-17 overtime victory over the Chicago Bears sent the Rams to the NFC Championship Game, where they will face the Seattle Seahawks .
That means the Steelers will have to wait another week to do in-person interviews with Scheelhaase and Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, who's also a strong candidate for the Steelers' HC position.
Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on Dec 7, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA. — Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn ImagesCredit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Scheelhaase was the first person the Steelers requested an interview with for their opening, according to a report by Adam Schefter of ESPN last Wednesday. The 35-year-old is in his first season as the Rams' passing game coordinator. Before that, he spent one season as an offensive assistant in LA.
A Davenport, Iowa native, Scheelhaase was a college quarterback at Illinois, throwing for over 8,000 yards in his time with the Fighting Illini from 2009-13, and was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in his senior year. He holds the Illinois records for career passing yards and season completion percentage.
Despite his career passing success, he did not pursue a professional career, instead going almost directly into coaching. He started his coaching career at his alma mater as an offensive assistant from 2015-17. He moved to Iowa State, where he worked as running backs coach, wide receivers coach, and offensive coordinator under head coach Matt Campbell from 2018-23.
Scheelhaase is the latest offensive coach to come out of the well-worn Sean McVay coaching tree, including current NFL head coaches Zac Taylor, Matt LaFleur, Kevin O'Connell and Liam Coen.
"I mean, it's a successful system," Steelers president Art Rooney II said two years ago, when the team was in the midst of a search for an offensive coordinator. "There's no two ways about it. Those guys have had a lot of success and their approach to offensive football has been pretty impressive."
Scheelhaase also had virtual interviews with the Baltimore Ravens , Cleveland Brows and Las Vegas Raiders for their vacant HC positions.
Scheelhaase is scheduled for a second interview with the Browns after the NFC championship game.
Alan Saunders contributed.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Report: Nate Scheelhaase Blew Away Steelers in Interview
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