Six weeks ago the thought of replacing Mike Tomlin would have been inconceivable.  After losing 5 of their last seven games, and finding themselves 9th in the AFC, that thought now seems more possible than ever.  “Fire Tomlin” chants rained down at Acrisure stadium during the 26-7 drubbing at the hands of the Bills.  Mike Tomlin may indeed be coaching for his job in these last five games.  Knowing him, Tomlin will find a way to drag this team to 9-8 and all will be forgiven.  But just in case here are ten potential candidates for the Steelers head coach if it should become available:

1. Dan Lanning (39) HC Oregon

Dan Lanning has been nothing short of amazing at his stint with Oregon.  He has a 46-7 overall record with the Ducks, and is about to embark on his second College Football Playoffs.  Lanning has worked under the likes of Kirby Smart, and Nick Saban during his coaching career. Unfortunately he has two strikes against him in terms of being considered the next Steelers head coach. He has a defensive background, and is a college coach with no NFL experience.  Having said that, the Steelers would be foolish not to have Dan Lanning on the top of their list of coaching interviews if/when this ever happens.

2. Klint Kubiak (38) OC Seattle Seahawks

Klint Kubiak is the hot name in NFL circles to be a head coach in 2026.  The son of former NFL Super Bowl winning head coach Gary Kubiak, Klint is making a name for himself.  He spent time in San Francisco with Kyle Shanahan as their pass game coordinator, and is now on his second stint as an OC.  Kubiak is currently doing a fantastic job with Sam Darnold in Seattle.  He will be among the first names mentioned on any coaching vacancy, and should be able to pick his spot.

3.  Thomas Brown (39) Pass Game Coordinator/Tight ends coach New England Patriots

A former Mcvay disciple who spent a short time as the Panthers OC in 2023.  Thomas Brown served as the Chicago Bears interim head coach in 2024 as well.  Brown interviewed for the Patriots OC job, and so impressed Mike Vrabel that he was talked into taking his current role with the team.  Thomas Brown is well respected in NFL circles, and is a favorite to land a job in 2026. Brown was on our list as a potential OC for the Steelers before they hired Arthur Smith. Steelers offensive coordinator candidates: Part II

4. Frank Smith (44) OC Miami Dolphins

Smith has been the offensive coordinator in Miami for four years now.  He is a very well respected coach who was voted the number one offensive coordinator in a poll by the NFL Players Association.  A former tight ends coach who worked wonders with our very own Jonnu Smith.  Darren Waller was quoted as saying Smith was the only coach who he would have considered coming out of retirement for.

5. Mike LaFluer (38) OC Los Angeles Rams

Younger brother of Packers coach Matt Lafuer, Mike is making a name for himself in L.A.  Their use of multiple tight end sets has been extremely successful this season.  This is his third year as OC for the Rams, along with one year with the Jets in that role.  LaFluer also spent time with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco as their passing coordinator.  Any coach who has experience under McVay and Shanahan automatically qualified as the next Steelers head coach right?

6. Marcus Freeman (39) HC Notre Dame

Marcus Freeman will get lots of looks in this NFL head coaching cycle.  Freeman is 43-12 at Notre Dame, and is fresh off the College Football Championship game in 2024.  Unfortunately for Freeman he has the same drawbacks as Dan Lanning when it comes to the Steelers head coach position.  He is a defensive coach by nature, who has no NFL experience.  Having said that, this is a name that can not be ignored.

7. Joe Brady (36) OC Buffalo Bills

Steelers fans know all too well how good a Joe Brady offense looks after last week’s game.  Brady’s resume includes being Joe Burrow’s OC the year LSU won the national title.   He also had a largely unsuccessful stint as the Carolina Panthers’ OC.  Seems like a good candidate to pair with what should be a new young quarterback in Pittsburgh next year.

8.  Declan Doyle (29) OC Chicago Bears

Spent time under Sean Payton as the Broncos tight end coach, and now is running the offense for Ben Johnson in Chicago.  Declan Doyle might be a long shot here, but he’s a name to keep an eye on.  The Rooney’s have a history of plucking very young coordinators and making them their decades long head coach.

9.  Jeff Hafley (46) DC Green Bay Packers

Hafley has ties to Pittsburgh spending four years at Pitt as their DB coach from 2006-2010.  He was the DC at Ohio St. before taking the head coaching job at Boston College for one season. Hafley was so respected as a defensive mind he landed the Packers DC job one year later.  The Packers are currently 6th overall in points allowed in the NFL.

10. Eljiro Evero (44) DC Carolina Panthers

Eljiro Evero has himself quite the resume.  He has coached all three phases of the game in his career, but he is primarily a defensive coach.  He’s coached under Sean Mcvay and Sean Payton as well.  Evero has interviewed for eight NFL head coaching jobs over the past two seasons, including four second interviews.  It seems if, and not when this man becomes an head coach in this league.