If you’re expecting new Steelers HC Mike McCarthy to vastly expand their coaching staff, it’s time to recalibrate your expectations. And it doesn’t sound like it was entirely up to him, based on a recent interview with CBS Pittsburgh. Speaking to Bob Pompeani, he addressed a question about his preference for the size of his coaching staff.

“I’m not caught on a number. We’re all given a structure, head count. To me, I just asked how many, then you get the job descriptions, get them fit together”, McCarthy said of the size of his coaching staff. “I know what the job responsibilities [are]. We know what we need to do. Technology helps today. A lot different than it was 20-30 years ago”.

Under former HC Mike Tomlin, the Steelers typically had one of the smallest coaching staffs in the NFL. Eventually, he split coaching duties for inside and outside linebackers. On occasion, he employed a senior assistant. But generally, he employed a small staff and divided responsibilities among them.

Based on Mike McCarthy’s comments, it sounds like ownership told him not to expect a huge coaching staff. By last season, the average coaching staff size reached 24, of which the Steelers were five behind. How many coaches will McCarthy ultimately end up with?

Some beat writers have suggested that McCarthy could have a larger coaching staff than Mike Tomlin. I am doing my best to specify coaching staff, rather than just staff, because, well, I know you guys. Especially if McCarthy has a bigger staff than Tomlin. But, anyway…

It’s certainly possible that the Steelers under Mike McCarthy may have an extra coach or two. But I don’t think we can anticipate some massive, sprawling setup. After all, even Sean McVay employed 23 coaches, including himself, last season, which is slightly below average at this point. You don’t need a massive coaching staff, and sometimes, too many voices can drown out the essential message.

Thus far, it appears McCarthy is filling his staff with names familiar to him from his previous stops in the NFL. So while they may be all new to the Steelers’ coaching staff, there will be some internal cohesion. One reported incoming member is Jason Simmons, once a Steelers draft pick.

There is a lot of competition for coaches right now, too, as 10 NFL franchises parted with their head coaches. That included the Steelers, involuntarily, with Mike Tomlin opting to resign. Mike McCarthy was a part of the last shakeup after the Cowboys fired him as head coach in 2025. Now the Steelers’ leader, his coaching staff is projected to feature many names from his time in Dallas and Green Bay. And that familiarity and working relationship would also help reduce the need for multiple coaches for different roles.