Mike McCarthy might be the oldest coach in Pittsburgh Steelers history, but he’s not one to reject new-school numbers. In a wide-ranging interview with KDKA’s Bob Pompeani, McCarthy offered an endorsement of analytics, even if he won’t be beholden to them.

“It’s a big part of my coaching,” he said in a 1 on 1 interview posted to the station’s YouTube channel. “Frankly, we called it game analysis in the early 90s. It’s probably big part of how I got into the league. As a quality control coach…it had to be developed, the code. COBOL back in the day.”

COBOL was an early computer programming system that’s still used today. Though often geared for the business and finance world, it had its place in the NFL. In fact, a 1978 article from the University of Missouri references it in relation to BLESTO that for decades was run by Steelers’ Hall of Famer Jack Butler.

“Jack needed a random access system, so he could ask for the 10 fastest players, over six feet six inches, or whatever criteria he had, and receive a response quickly. He also needed COBOL, a computer language better suited for file manipulation; and it was clear that identifying players by a code number would increase the computer’s efficiency.”

It’s a great article worth a full read.

Analytics is an area Pittsburgh has arguably lagged behind in, especially compared to the cutting-edge Baltimore Ravens. As evident by the Steelers’ 2025 division crown, that doesn’t always manifest itself in the standings, but it’s a competitive disadvantage. After taking over for Kevin Colbert, general manager Omar Khan has seemingly tilted Pittsburgh more in that direction. He’s increased the team’s analytics staff with recent hires.

But the data is only as good as how it’s utilized, and McCarthy is offering a warmer embrace. However, he won’t blindly follow the odds.

“I’m not a red light, yellow light, green light system guy,” he said. “Yellow light is the grey area. You gotta trust the ebb and flow…there’s things going on on the sidelines you may not be aware. Your computer may not be aware.”

In an attempt to filter out game circumstance, during McCarthy’s time with the Dallas Cowboys, he went for it on fourth down 68 times across the first three quarters. That ranked 11th in the NFL. Comparatively, the Steelers went for it just 50 times, 23rd league-wide. Mike Tomlin was a famous “gut guy” who paid little attention to the data. That’ll change under McCarthy.

“I think it’s really helped me develop a check-and-balance system,” he said. “Protocol, how you assess the game, organization, workload capacity, efficiency, all of those things come from that mindset. Analytics is a great asset. I don’t think it’s the end all of ends all, by any means.

“But it’s exciting what’s going on with AI. We have some opportunities to look into that a little deeper. If it helps, you definitely want to look at it.”

McCarthy may be the first Steelers employee to ever mention “AI.” That comes with its own caveat and challenges, but a 62-year-old McCarthy might be the most modern coach Pittsburgh has had.