Dick LeBeau knows how quickly a franchise can turn its fortunes around. He thinks Mike McCarthy is the right man to lead Pittsburgh. Offering his take on the Steelers hiring McCarthy as Mike Tomlin’s successor, LeBeau offered a complete endorsement.

“I think he’s an excellent coach. He’s had a lot of good success, a lot of good experience,” LeBeau told WMBS’ George Von Benko during a Saturday interview. “Most of coaching is your own personal experience and learning from your mistakes. Like it is for anybody that does any job.

“That first or second year you’re on that job, you’re probably not going to be as good at it as if you’ve been on it for 20 years. And I think that McCarthy certainly has the experience and the track record to know what to do.”

McCarthy comes to Pittsburgh without needing time to learn the job. A head coach for 13 years in Green Bay and another five in Dallas, he’s one of the league’s most experienced in the role. A key reason why the Steelers hired him, owner Art Rooney II cited his resume as something other candidates simply couldn’t match.

The study we conducted last month showed a slightly worse but overall negligible difference in success rate for coaches given the chance to lead a third franchise. LeBeau thinks the Steelers’ roster works in McCarthy’s favor.

“I also think that the Steelers’ roster is pretty strong,” LeBeau said. “Like most NFL teams, a couple of players in the right area can make a whole lot of difference.”

Pittsburgh has core elements in place. An offensive line drafted and developed with hits across the board. Even the one potential miss at left tackle, Broderick Jones, is buoyed by Dylan Cook’s emergence, taking over and impressing late in 2025. The defense is still capable of playing at a high level and features some of football’s top pass rushers. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. emerged in a crucial Year Three that could earn him a long-term extension later this summer.

The Steelers’ playoff drought extends back to 2016. A streak LeBeau is confident will soon end.

“I’m very optimistic for the Steelers. I think that we get a couple breaks and get a couple spots filled in there that can put us over the top. We’ll be right back winning those playoff games this year.”

Quick turnarounds of the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots are proof of how short a rebuild or reset window can last. LeBeau cited his own experience. His first Super Bowl came against the San Francisco 49ers while a member of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1981. The prior year, both teams won just six games. LeBeau lost that first big game but got his ring more than 20 years later in 2005 with the Steelers.

Both teams were led by talented quarterbacks – Joe Montana and Ken Anderson. Pittsburgh is missing that piece. If McCarthy can find and cultivate the franchise’s future, the hire will be an excellent one, and LeBeau’s words will ring true.