The Pittsburgh Steelers have a list of candidates for their head coach opening, and they’re starting to meet with the ones they’re able to. Two they’ve expressed interest in, yet are unable to meet face-to-face, are Nate Scheelhaase and Chris Shula from the Los Angeles Rams.
The former is quite an interesting candidate. He was the first interview Pittsburgh requested that we know of, and he would bring quite a different vibe to the organization. As a young, offensive-minded coach, it would certainly be a jolt to a franchise that’s been led by defensive specialists for decades.
However, it also would be a big jump for Scheelhaase himself. He’s just 35 years old and has never been an offensive coordinator before. Analyst Steve Palazzolo thinks it might be a little too soon to make him the next head coach in Pittsburgh.
“I keep saying, the head coaching thing, it’s being a CEO and it’s buy-in, and it’s getting 53-plus people. There’s all these non Xs and Os elements. But coordinating is a step there, where you have to get half the team on the same page, learned up,” Palazzolo said Thursday on 93.7 The Fan. “So it does feel like a big step to leap over. And he’s still young, and maybe it’s a little early for that move. Again, tough to say. But I think I’d rather see it with, you know, time as an offensive coordinator first.”
There’s reason to believe in Sean McVay’s coaching tree, which Nate Scheelhaase comes from. Several of McVay’s former assistants have moved on to bigger roles in the league. Those include Matt LaFleur, Zac Taylor, Brandon Staley, Kevin O’Connell, Raheim Morris and Liam Coen. Mike McDaniel was also on the same staff as McVay in Washington, before McVay took over in Los Angeles.
However, being a head coach is more than just coming from a reliable coaching tree. The Steelers are familiar with a CEO-type presence in that role. While Mike Tomlin’s expertise came on defense, he certainly had a command of the locker room. Tomlin made a lasting impact on players, even long after their departures.
Maybe Scheelhaase has what it takes to make that jump. After all, Gerry Dulac reports that the Steelers were impressed by his interview, one that reminded them of Tomlin. But while Scheelhaase has been good in his role as the Rams’ pass game coordinator, jumping up to head coach is a massive leap. He was an offensive coordinator at Iowa State, but is in just his second year at the NFL level.
However, that might be a risk the Steelers have to take. If they hire him as an offensive coordinator, they’re at risk of another team poaching him next offseason. He’s receiving plenty of head coach interest around the league already.
If the Steelers want to keep him around long-term, the only real way to do that may be as head coach. And that move could work very well, as Nate Scheelhaase is held in high regard around the league. But there’s also risk that comes with younger coaches, especially ones with such little experience.