Few NFL franchises have maintained the same level of coaching stability as the Steelers. Across decades of change throughout the league, the Steelers have relied on a small group of head coaches to shape the direction of the organization.

The position has carried significant expectations. From the early days of the franchise to the modern NFL, each coach has faced the challenge of keeping the Steelers competitive.

Names such as Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin have become synonymous with some of the most successful eras in Steelers history. Now, another chapter is underway, as Mike McCarthy is set to lead Pittsburgh.

Here is a complete history of Steelers head coaches.

Steelers head coach history: Full timeline

(Records via Pro-Football-Reference)

Head CoachYearsReg. Season Record (W-L)Playoff RecordForrest Douds19333-6-2—Luby DiMeolo19342-10—Joe Bach1935-1936; 1952-195321-27—Johnny Blood (McNally)1937-19396-19—Walt Kiesling1939-1940; 1941*; 1942; 1954-195625-41-4—Bert Bell1941*0-2—Aldo Donelli1941*0-5—Jim Leonard19452-8—Jock Sutherland1946-194713-9-10-1John Michelosen1948-195120-26-2—Buddy Parker1957-196451-47-6—Mike Nixon19652-12—Bill Austin1966-196811-28-3—Chuck Noll1969-1991193-148-116-8Bill Cowher1992-2006149-90-112-9Mike Tomlin2007-2025193-114-28-12

 *In 1941, Bert Bell coached the first two games of the season before stepping back as co-owner. Aldo Donelli took over for the next five games before resigning because of coaching conflicts at Duquesne University. Walt Kiesling finished the final four games of the season as head coach.

Did you know?

Severe player shortages during World War II forced the Steelers to temporarily merge with two separate teams.

In 1943, the Steelers combined forces with the Eagles to become the Phil-Pitt Combine, often referred to as the “Steagles.” The team finished the season with a 5-4-1 record under co-head coaches Walt Kiesling and Greasy Neale.

The Steelers then merged with the Chicago Cardinals in 1944. Dubbed the Card-Pitt squad, the team went 0-10 with Kiesling co-coaching alongside Phil Handler.

The five winningest Steelers coaches

To identify the top five winningest coaches, regular-season winning percentage is used as the primary statistical measure, with postseason success and championships providing additional context.

Coaches with fewer than three seasons are excluded from the ranking to avoid giving a short tenure disproportionate weight.

5. Joe Bach (1935-1936; 1952-1953)Win-Loss percentage: 0.438

Bach ranks fifth on the list after spending four seasons as Pittsburgh’s head coach across two different stints. His tenure came during the franchise’s early years, long before the Steelers established themselves as an NFL powerhouse.

Bach initially coached when the team was called the Pittsburgh Pirates (1933-1939). Before the 1940 season, the name changed to the Steelers.

4. Buddy Parker (1957-1964)

Parker ranks fourth after an eight-season tenure that made him one of the longest-serving coaches in Steelers history before the Noll era.

Parker helped establish the team as a more competitive club during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

3. Chuck Noll (1969-1991)Win-Loss percentage: 0.566Accolades: Greasy Neale Award (Coach of the Year) (1989); PFWA Coach of the Year (1983, 1989); UPI Coach of the Year (1972); four Super Bowl championships (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979); four AFC championships (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979)

Noll ranks third after 23 seasons at the helm, the longest coaching tenure in franchise history. He guided Pittsburgh through its defining era, winning four championships while establishing the Steelers as one of the NFL’s premier teams.

Noll was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

2. Bill Cowher (1992-2006)Win-Loss percentage: 0.623Accolades: AP Coach of the Year (1992); Sporting News Coach of the Year (1992, 2004); one Super Bowl championship (2005); two AFC championships (1995, 2005)

Cowher ranks second after leading Pittsburgh for 15 seasons. He won eight division titles, reached the playoffs 10 times and guided the Steelers to two Super Bowl appearances, including a victory in Super Bowl 40.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

1. Mike Tomlin (2007-2025)Win-Loss percentage: 0.628Accolades: One Super Bowl championship (2008), two AFC championships (2008, 2010)

Tomlin ranks first on the list after 19 seasons as Pittsburgh’s head coach. He led the Steelers to two Super Bowl appearances, including a victory in Super Bowl 43.

Tomlin shares the all-time record for most regular-season wins in franchise history with Noll (193).

Steelers current coachMike McCarthy (2026-present)

McCarthy became the Steelers’ 17th head coach in January. The Pittsburgh native brings nearly two decades of NFL head-coaching experience, including a Super Bowl 45 championship with the Packers.

McCarthy enters his first season in Pittsburgh with a 174-112-2 regular-season record from his previous stops in Green Bay and Dallas.

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