Chuck Noll, 1969– 1991.
Mike Tomlin, 2007– Present.
The 3 All-Time Best Steelers Head Coaches
If you are the head coach of an NFL football team it suggests you are one of the best in the world at what you do. There are only 32 teams and 32 head coaching areas.
Head coaches might supervise, but it is a high-stress position, and they typically get the blame when things go wrong. NFL groups earn countless dollars from superstar gamers who pack people into arenas every Sunday. When a group struggles, the front workplace will often fire the coach before they cut the quarterback who sells countless jerseys for a hundred dollars a pop.
For football geeks and sports experts, the end of every season not only brings the enjoyment of seeing which teams make the playoffs, however also which coaches heads are on the slicing block.
Again, if you are a Steelers fan, these issues are not extremely familiar to you. The Rooney Family has a history of sticking and picking with wise, young head coaches, and for over 50 years this technique has settled.
Pittsburgh does things a little in a different way when it pertains to head coaches, and the Steelers have only had 3 because 1969.
Super Bowl Championships.
Routine Season Record.
Total Wins.
Winning Percentage.
Hall of Famers.
Awards.
It is an easy guess who most Steelers fans would vote top, but I believe it is a closer contest than some may understand. Here is a take a look at the Steelers top three coaches, in addition to a list of every coach in Steelers history, and some of the notable assistant coaches who have gone on to NFL greatness.
1. Chuck Noll.
Years: 1969 to 91.
Noll got his training start as an assistant with the Chargers in 1960 and moved on to coach defensive backs for the Colts in 66. With the Colts, Noll worked under Don Shula and coached in Super Bowl III.
He had played and coached for 2 of the most powerful franchises in the NFL, but when Noll took the Steelers head coaching position in 1969, he acquired one of the worst teams. He found an ally in the new general supervisor Dan Rooney and, over the next few years, the 2 males prepared some of the finest players in NFL history.
The Steelers won their first championship game ever in 1972, and by January of 75, they had won their very first Super Bowl. It was just the start of a decade of achievement throughout which the Steelers ended up initially in their department 7 times, appeared in six AFC champions, and won 4 Super Bowls. Noll took a team that had actually struggled for 40 years and turned them into among the greatest dynasties the NFL had actually ever seen.
Nolls Steelers made it to another AFC champion game in 1984, but otherwise, the 80s marked a downward pattern for the Steelers. From the mid 1980s to early 90s, the Steelers struggled to make the playoffs each year.
Training Stats.
Total Seasons: 23.
Regular-Season Record: 193-148-1.
Playoff Record: 16– 8.
Super Bowl Record: 4– 0.
Gamers in the Hall of Fame.
Costs Cowher, 1992– 2006.
Those 3 guys led the Steelers to 30 playoff appearances, 16 AFC championship games, eight Super Bowl looks, and six Super Bowl championships.
Who is the best Steelers head coach of all time?
What Makes a Great NFL Head Coach?
Joe Greene.
Terry Bradshaw.
Mel Blount.
Franco Harris.
Jack Ham.
Jack Lambert.
Lynn Swann.
John Stallworth.
Mike Webster.
Donnie Shell.
Rod Woodson.
Dermontti Dawson.
2. Bill Cowher.
Years: 1992 to 2006.
Expense Cowher was a linebacker who bet the Cleveland Browns (1980 and 82) and Philadelphia Eagles (1983 to 84) before he went into coaching. With those teams, he saw limited action, and his profession as a gamer was uneventful. His coaching career started in 1985 with a task as unique teams coordinator for the Browns. In 1989, he moved on to act as defensive coordinator with Kansas City.
Cowher won the Steelers head-coaching task in 1992. Noll had coached the Steelers for the previous 23 years and had actually supervised the most glorious years in Pittsburgh football history. Filling his shoes would be a tough job for Cowher or any novice head coach.
Cowher responded by winning the AFC Central Division with an 11– 5 record throughout his first season as coach. In 1995, he led Pittsburgh back to the Super Bowl, their very first since 79. They lost to the Cowboys, however Cowhers Steelers would go back to the huge video game in due time.
The Steelers played in 6 AFC champion video games throughout Bill Cowhers period and won 2. In 2005, the Steelers went back to the Super Bowl and defeated the Seahawks, earning Bill Cowher his first and just NFL championship. His mission total, he retired from training after the 2006 season to spend more time with his household and pursue a profession as an NFL analyst. In 2020, he was elected to sign up with the list of Steelers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Coaching Stats.
Overall Seasons: 15.
Routine Season Record: 149-90-1.
Playoff Record: 12– 9.
Super Bowl Record: 1– 1.
Gamers in the Hall of Fame.
Jerome Bettis.
Kevin Greene.
Troy Polamalu.
3. Mike Tomlin.
Years: 2007 to Present.
Tomlin coached protective backs for the Buccaneers from 2001 to 05 and served as protective organizer for the Vikings in 06. He took over as head coach of the Steelers in 2007.
Tomlin acquired a championship-caliber team. In 2008, he took the Steelers to the Super Bowl and beat the Cardinals in among the most amazing Steelers Super Bowls ever played. Tomlin and the Steelers returned to the big video game in 2010, just to lose to the Green Bay Packers.
Tomlin is the only Steelers head coach in team history who has never ever had a losing season (though Jock Sutherland went 5-5-1 in 1946). Under his assistance, the team has actually won the AFC North 6 times and appeared in three AFC national championship. In 2019, with a hurt Ben Roethlisberger on the sidelines, Tomlin cobbled together an 8– 8 record with young quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Devlin (Duck) Hodges behind.
Much of Tomlins history as the Steelers head coach has yet to be composed. He is still a young guy and still appears to be the best candidate for the task. While debates and injuries have made his job harder over the last few years, he has actually kept the Steelers competitive through everything.
Training Stats.
Total Seasons: 13.
Regular Season Record: 133-74-1.
Playoff Record: 8– 7.
Super Bowl Record: 1– 1.
Costs Cowher is part of the class of 2020.
Coach.
Years.
Routine Season Record.
Notable Steelers Assistant Coaches.
Dick LeBeau.
Dick LeBeau bet the Detriot Lions from 1959 to 72. He obstructed 62 passes in his profession and was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player in 2010. After his playing career was over, he entered into training and exposed himself to be among many dazzling protective minds in NFL history. He started working with the Steelers as protective backs coach in 1992 and was promoted to protective planner in 95. He left the team after the 1996 season and returned in 2004 for a 2nd stint that lasted through 14. LeBeau has been the architect of every Steelers Super Bowl defense since 1995.
Bruce Arians.
Arians acted as the Steelers wide receiver coach from 2004 to 06 and offensive coordinator from 2007 to 11. During this time, the Steelers played in 3 Super Bowls and won 2. After his time in Pittsburgh, Arians functioned as interim head coach for the Colts, then took the head training task for the Cardinals from 2013 to 17. Arians earned AP Coach of the Year honors in 2012 and 14. He is presently the head coach for the Buccaneers.
Ken Whisenhunt.
Whisenhunt started his time with the Steelers as tight ends coach in 2001. They promoted him to offensive organizer in 2004, and he assisted the team win a Super Bowl in 2005. He ended up being head coach of the Cardinals in 2007 and led them to the Super Bowl in 2008, where he would deal with off versus his old pals from Pittsburgh. (The Steelers beat the Cardinals in one of the biggest success in Pittsburgh history.) Whisenhunt left the Cardinals after the 2012 season and coached the Chargers and Titans. He is currently the offending organizer of the Chargers.
Tony Dungy.
Dungy played for the Steelers in 1977 and 78. When the Steelers won Super Bowl XIII and led the group in interceptions that year, he earned a ring. After his playing days were over, Dungy got his very first NFL training job as a protective assistant with the Steelers in 1981. By 1984, he had actually made his way as much as defensive coordinator, where he stayed for five seasons. After investing time with the Chiefs and Vikings from 1989 to 95, Dungy got his head training shot with the Buccaneers in 1996. After the 2001 season, he carried on to Indianapolis, where he won a Super Bowl in 2006. Dungy was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2016.
Bud Carson.
Carson was the Steelers protective coordinator from 1972 to 77. He is credited as the designer of the Steel Curtain defense that won 4 Super Bowls in the 1970s, and he supervised the advancement of future Hall of Fame gamers like Jack Lambert, Mel Blount and Jack Ham. Carson assisted the Steelers win two Super Bowls in 1974 and 75, then left to take the protective planner job with the Rams after the 1977 season. The Rams made it to the Super Bowl in 1979, just to get shut down by the Steelers defense he himself produced.
Parker coached the Steelers from 1957 to 64 and escaped the Steel City as one of simply 2 pre-Noll coaches with a winning record. He served as line coach from 1949 to 53 and as an assistant coach under Buddy Parker from 1957 to 61. Pittsburghs first-ever head coach was Forrest Douds, who coached the team throughout their inaugural season in 1933. Coach Noll has the most regular season wins with 193, followed by Coach Cowher with 149 and Coach Tomlin with 133. When a head coach gets fired, the brand-new coach typically brings in his own group of assistants.
Both made it into the Hall of Fame as coaches; however, the Steelers have actually had a couple of former coaches inducted as gamers and executives.
” Johnny Blood” McNally was a player/coach with the Steelers (then the Pirates) from 1937 to 39. He was preserved in the Hall of Fame as a gamer in 1963.
Bert Bell coached the Steelers for 2 video games in 1941 and lost them both. What he did not have in coaching abilities he made up for as a visionary, team owner, and NFL executive.
The Life of a Head Coach in the NFL.
The life of a coach in the NFL is not an easy one. A lot of coaches begin out as graduate assistants, making little or no money and just happy to get an opportunity. From there they may move up to a position coach task and ultimately an organizer position. A coach may change jobs a lots times before even being thought about for a head training area. Remember, there are only 32 NFL head coaching tasks. Even if you are excellent, there is no guarantee you will get your shot.
Coaches move around a lot. When a head coach gets fired, the new coach generally brings in his own team of assistants. The NFL coaching ranks are a huge video game of musical chairs, where an assistant coach may work for a different team every year until they wind up in a job that sticks. All of that moving is difficult on individuals and their households.
When a team is losing, the fans may start to call for the firing of the head coach. Even the Steelers arent immune to this, with numerous fans taking to Twitter to lash out at Coach Tomlin and his assistants over the past couple of seasons.
The Steelers have never ever been so short-sighted, at least not in the past 5 years. It would be difficult to change Tomlin if he left, no matter how much some fans tirade. He has shown he is the male for the task, just as Cowher and Noll did before him.
While it is impossible to forecast the future, there is a good opportunity the Steelers will stick with Coach Tomlin till he retires. Pittsburgh does things a little differently when it comes to head coaches.
Analytical Reference.
Who Is the Best Steelers Coach of All Time?
Chuck Noll is the greatest coach in Steelers history. He was the very first NFL coach to win four Super Bowls, he prepared some of the most legendary Steelers gamers in NFL history, and he introduced an era of Steelers success that has continued on to this day. While his overall record suffered in the 1980s, that doesnt diminish the effect this Hall of Fame coach had on the Steelers franchise and the NFL.
Respectable Mentions.
Not every Steelers coach wins a Super Bowl, however some made their marks in Pittsburgh lore. Here are a few:.
Buddy Parker.
Parker coached the Steelers from 1957 to 64 and escaped the Steel City as one of simply two pre-Noll coaches with a winning record. The early 60s and late 1950s were a hopeful time for the Steelers.
Jock Sutherland.
Sutherland had a winning record during his time in Pittsburgh, as short as it was. He coached the group during the 1946 and 47 seasons. In 1946, Pittsburgh posted a 5-5-1 record, but in 47, the team went 8– 4 and made the playoffs for the very first time in franchise history. On Dec. 21, 1947, the Steelers took on against their cross-state competing Eagles in the divisional playoff. Thanks to the arm of quarterback Tommy Thompson, the Eagles dispatched the Steelers with a rating of 21– 0. Sutherland retired from coaching following the 1947 season however went down in Pittsburgh franchise history as the first coach to bring a Steelers team to the playoffs. He entrusted to a profession regular-season record of 13-9-1.
Walt Kiesling.
Walt Kiesling definitely did not have a winning record as head coach of the Steelers. He served as line coach from 1949 to 53 and as an assistant coach under Buddy Parker from 1957 to 61. As Steelers head coach, he published a record of 25-41-4.
List of Steelers Head Coaches.
Chuck Noll was enshrined in the Hall of Fame with the class of 1993.
Steelers Coaching FAQ.
Got some concerns about Steelers coaches? Here are some responses!
How many head coaches have the Steelers had?
The Steelers have actually had 16 coaches in franchise history. Given that 1969 they have only had three.
Have the Steelers ever fired a head coach?
The Steelers have not fired a head coach because Bill Austin in 1968, the year before the franchise hired Chuck Noll.
Who was the first coach of the Steelers?
Pittsburghs first-ever head coach was Forrest Douds, who coached the group during their inaugural season in 1933. Back then, they were called the Pittsburgh Pirates. Douds led the team to an unimpressive 3-6-2 record and did not return as coach in 1934.
Which Steeler coach has won the most Super Bowls?
Chuck Noll is the Steelers head coach who has actually won the most Super Bowls. He won 4 in total– Super Bowl IX, Super Bowl X, Super Bowl XIII and Super Bowl XIV.
Which Steelers coach has the very best gaining percentage?
Existing Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has the greatest regular-season winning portion of any coach in franchise history with.642. Cowher follows him with a winning portion of.623, Jock Sutherland with.591 and Noll with.566.
Which Steelers head coach has the many wins?
Coach Noll has the most routine season wins with 193, followed by Coach Cowher with 149 and Coach Tomlin with 133. Noll likewise has the many playoff wins with 16. Cowher and Tomlin have 12 and 8, respectively.
Which Steelers coaches remain in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
Walt Kiesling was Pittsburghs head coach from 1939 to 44, and 1954 to 56. He was an assistant coach from 1957 to 61. Keisling was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1966.
