When Mike McCarthy was introduced as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday, it was clear how much the city of Pittsburgh means to him. That’s turned some of the fan base to his side, albeit not all. But in case you had any doubts, as some do, whether his feelings for the city are genuine, former Green Bay Packers’ executive Andrew Brandt can recall McCarthy’s love for Pittsburgh all the way back when the latter was being interviewed by Green Bay in the 2000’s.
“This guy was and is Pittsburgh through and through. I just remember in his interview, 20 years ago this week, where Mike was asked to describe himself, or if he wanted to describe himself in a certain way, was all about Pittsburgh. He said, ‘I’m just a football guy from Pittsburgh’. And he actually named, I think, the suburb or the neighborhood Greenfield,” Brandt said on his NFL Business Podcast. “He talked about that, and his dad owning a bar there, and he talked a lot about being a toll collector on the Pennsylvania turnpike. Which was a job that he was very proud of. So it’s heartwarming.”
McCarthy’s love for the steel city isn’t anything new. His roots here are well known. The factors that Brandt talks about are all things we’ve heard plenty of over the last week. But McCarthy mentioning Pittsburgh so much during his chance to get his dream job in a city that has nothing to do with Pittsburgh is nice to see.
It’s going to take more than that to get results on the field, which Steelers fans are still admittedly wary of. Mike McCarthy has won much more than he’s lost in both his stops as a head coach. Yet, there are some roadblocks ahead in Pittsburgh. Although he has an interest in both Aaron Rodgers and Will Howard, neither of those two inspires a ton of confidence in a Super Bowl run. And there are still some holes to fill both offensively and defensively.
Problems on the field aside, the mood does feel like it’s starting to shift regarding McCarthy. The fan base melted down when he was first hired. And at first, there wasn’t much to be said from the players immediately after he came in. But McCarthy has come across as very genuine in his first appearances since accepting the job. Since then, numerous players have either met with him or come out in support.
It takes more than just having Pittsburgh roots to win over Steelers fans. They’re going to need to see it on the field. But if there’s one thing that’s clear, Mike McCarthy loves the city of Pittsburgh. It doesn’t seem as if he’s taking this opportunity lightly.