PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers just got some very interesting coaching news. Their initial list of candidates was a mix of offensive and defensive coaches, with really just one “older coach” being included in their interviews.

Maybe, they’ll be adding a second.

Mike McCarthy was the outlier of the Steelers initial requests for interviews, being 62-years-old in a group of candidates that ranged from 35 to 46. Pittsburgh’s Team President Art Rooney II clearly has an idea of what the age bracket is for his next head coach, but what if he can reconsider things with another candidate.

No, that candidate isn’t McCarthy. The Pittsburgh native and former Aaron Rodgers head coach may be a candidate, but he’s likely not the favorite to land the job. Sean McDermott could be, though.

The Buffalo Bills have decided to move on from McDermott after nine seasons. The 51-year-old head coach held a 98-50 record in Buffalo, taking the team to two AFC Championship games, and leading them to five AFC East titles with a .662 winning percentage (ranking 15th all-time).

When he took over the team, the Bills hadn’t made the playoffs in 18 years.

The Steelers wouldn’t want that? Rooney made it clear that he doesn’t want to “rebuild” and is looking to remain a contender after Tomlin. It’s what kept Tomlin around for 19 years, never being questioned by the organization.

” I’m not going to say, well, we’re going to take a couple of years to figure this out, and then we’ll try to compete. I think you try every year, and as I said, some years you have the horses to really get there, some years you don’t. But you try every year, in my view,” Rooney said.

“No,” he later added when asked if the team will rebuild. “I don’t know if it’s a rebuild. It’s a new coach, so there will be changes. We’ll have to all get comfortable with kind of the plan. Whether you call it a rebuild or not, I don’t like that word that much. We’ll try to compete day one if we can.”

McDermott is the Perfect Fit for Steelers

There’s one quote from Rooney’s press conference that continues to surface when discussing the Steelers head coaching search.

“There are a lot of things that go into being a successful coach,” Rooney said when asked what the team is looking for. “Number one, really, I think in my mind, is leadership and really trusting that this person can stand in front of your team day in and day out, and hold their attention and have them motivated to do what they do. So, that’s what’s most important.”

Last year, after the Bills lost to the Chiefs in the playoffs, quarterback Josh Allen showed just how well McDermott fits that criteria.

“This is gonna sound weird, I’m just so proud of coach,” Allen said. “I don’t know why he’s not recognized more in the awards stuff. That’s the cruddy thing about it. But time in and time out, he’s got us in position. . . . We’re fighting to get over that hump, and he gives his life to this. He’s so committed to doing whatever it takes.”

If McDermott was at the end of his career, the Steelers shouldn’t be a team considering him. They’re ready for something new and refreshing and an older head coach isn’t that. After 19 years of Mike Tomlin, they need to find the next Mike Tomlin, but different.

McDermott is two years younger than Tomlin, though. And it was surprising that Tomlin chose to not pursue another job this season. But he’s so young that people expect him to return and be great, even if it’s down the road.

Which means McDermott has plenty of time left. Maybe he isn’t the next 20-year head coach of the Steelers, but if he’s there for 10, or 15, that’s a successful run for any team, even Pittsburgh.

McDermott is a defensive-minded coach who’s a proven winner and has helped turn an organization in Buffalo into a contender. Rooney is looking for that same success in Pittsburgh.

And without question, McDermott becomes a top – if not the top – option for the Steelers. An easy hire amongst anyone else on the market.

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A man is in custody after Pittsburgh police say he attempted to impersonate an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during a burglary.

Police were called to a reported burglary in progress Saturday night at a home in the 500 block of Climax Street in the city’s Beltzhoover neighborhood after a landlord said a man smashed a window and broke into a residence, authorities said.

While officers were en route, dispatchers reported that a tenant inside the residence had struck the suspect in the face with an object, knocking him unconscious.

Police said the suspect, later identified as William Gregory, was found lying unconscious on the floor when officers arrived. A juvenile victim was standing in a doorway with minor injuries to his right ankle and hand, police said.

According to police, the juvenile told officers that Gregory entered through the kitchen window, went upstairs and shouted that he was an ICE agent demanding to see paperwork. Police said Gregory then pulled out a pocketknife, threatened to stab the juvenile and began stealing a PlayStation console and controllers.

Police said Gregory also forcibly took the juvenile’s cellphone, leading to a physical altercation. The juvenile eventually punched Gregory in the face, knocking him unconscious before officers arrived.

When officers attempted to handcuff Gregory, he regained consciousness and resisted arrest, police said. Gregory continued to pull away as multiple officers tried to take him into custody before he was eventually tased and subdued.

Medics responded to the scene and sedated Gregory before transporting him to Mercy Hospital for treatment. Police said Gregory appeared heavily intoxicated and under the influence of drugs.

Officers later learned Gregory had multiple outstanding warrants, including for burglary and possession of a firearm. Police said they plan to request arrest warrants for Gregory based on the investigation and the reported offenses.

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are conducting their first in-person head coach interview, only the candidate they’re bringing in is very familiar with the facility.

The Steelers’ first in-person interview, and one of their first three interviews in general, will be with Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Or, as some know him, former Steelers senior defenisve assistant, Brian Flores.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Steelers are bringing Flores in for a first-round interview. So far, the team has virtually interviewed Los Angeles Rams passing game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase and are set to virtually interview Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula.

“A couple interviews set for next week, one in-person. Brian Flores set to interview with the Pittsburgh Steelers, certainly a candidate to consider. He has been there. He has learned from [Mike] Tomlin,” Rapoport said. “A lot of respect inside the buildingin, would absolutely keep an eye on Brian Flores. … I would expect them to really, really take their time on this.”

Here’s What We Know

The Steelers are looking for a leader who brings a strong character and presence. They aren’t locked into a defensive-minded coach, but have certainly hinted which side of the ball they prefer, requesting to interview six defensive coaches compared to only two offensive coaches.

“There are a lot of things that go into being a successful coach,” Team President Art Rooney II said on what the team is looking for in a coach. “Number one, really, I think in my mind, is leadership and really trusting that this person can stand in front of your team day in and day out, and hold their attention and have them motivated to do what they do. So, that’s what’s most important.”

Flores is believed to be one of the favorites in Pittsburgh. The team really enjoyed his time with the team in 2022, working as their senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach. He is believed to have enjoyed his time there as well.

The only reason he left was because it didn’t make sense to stay. The Steelers didn’t have the position for him to fill and he had offers to be a defensive coordinator with other teams. So, he headed to Minnesota to join the Vikings.

He’s not back in Pittsburgh with a new opportunity. A bigger opportunity. But the two sides now have a chance to see if the fit is right, and if the belief that it could work – actually does.

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