The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to be near the front of the line when it comes to trying to land Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula as their next head coach.
The Steelers, who were the last of the nine teams to replace their head coach this offseason to get started on their coaching search, just submitted a request to speak with Shula on Wednesday — one of seven such teams to do so.
But with limited time before his team's Divisional Round game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, the Steelers are one of three teams that Shula was willing to schedule an interview with this week.
Shula is expected to interview with the Steelers virtually on Friday evening, one of three interviews he has scheduled for the day. Shula will also meet with the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins , according to a report by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
That means that the other teams that requested an interview (the Arizona Cardinals , Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans are reportedly interested) are not going to get the first crack at the rising Rams coordinator and scion of one of the NFL's greatest coaching families.
That's undoubtedly good news for the Steelers, but the other two teams they're paired with might be more attractive options for the 39-year-old. His Hall of Fame grandfather Don Shula most famously coached the Miami Dolphins and he was born in Miami and attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale.
The Ravens are another stable, successful organization like the Steelers, but overall probably have the most attractive job on the market thanks to the presence of former MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson .
Steelers president Art Rooney II and general manager Omar Khan, who are running the team's coaching search, might have to make a strong pitch to secure Shula's services.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers Jump to Front of Line for Interview with Chris Shula, Stiff Competition Remains
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