When Mike Tomlin was hired in 2007, he was a relatively unknown candidate few expected to land the job. An impressive interview and clear vision for the team convinced the Pittsburgh Steelers to make him their next head coach. Could a similar scenario play out in 2026 with LA Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase?
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac shared details of his virtual interview with the team.
“I’m not going to say he’s the top guy because some of these candidates still have to interview in person with AR2, and he’s the one who will make the call,” Dulac wrote in his weekly Steelers chat. “But I will say Scheelhaase was an impressive interview, which fits what other NFL people think of him. Hmmm, so was Tomlin…”
Pittsburgh places a heavy emphasis on the interview portion of the process. So far, that’s only been virtual with Scheelhaase since he is still in the playoffs with the Rams. Win or lose, he can meet with Art Rooney II and Omar Khan next week. If the in-person meeting goes as well as it seems the virtual one did, perhaps he could shoot to the top of their list like Tomlin did almost 20 years ago.
Other than a background rooted in offensive play, Scheelhaase fits the profile of what the Steelers have hired in the past. He is the youngest candidate on the list at just 35 years old and has no head coaching experience at any level. He doesn’t even have NFL coordinator experience yet. Tomlin was just 34 years old when he was hired and he had just one year of coordinator experience.
The Tomlin comparison goes beyond the background information. Scheelhaase’s initial interview reminded some of Tomlin’s. Dulac noted he “gives off that Mike Tomlin vibe in interviews.”
Scheelhaase isn’t the only LA Rams candidate on the Steelers’ radar. Dulac was asked if Chris Shula is his top pick for the job.
“He is not my ‘pick,’ because I haven’t made a pick. But I’m sure he is a big blip on their radar. So is the other LA guy,” Dulac wrote.
With Scheelhaase not technically a coordinator yet, there is a world where the Steelers could end up with both Rams assistants. If they hire Shula, could he bring Scheelhaase with him for a promotion to offensive coordinator?
“I think that would be a pretty good package!” Dulac wrote.
The only issue with hiring someone like Scheelhaase as OC is that he could pretty quickly be hired as a head coach in one of the next couple hiring cycles. He is already receiving interest from multiple teams. There’s even a chance he could get hired somewhere this year, and it sounds like Pittsburgh is a strong possibility for that to happen.