Mike McCarthy is set to make his Pittsburgh Steelers head-coaching debut. He joins a remarkably short list of names over the franchise’s more than 90-year history. And though it’s just that, here’s how the men before him have performed.

Counting only full-time head coaches (not interim hires) and excluding second stints, only 14 men have coached before McCarthy. Any Steelers fan knows the previous three – Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin – but there were 11 before them.

Combined, the group has gone 8-4-2 in their head-coaching debuts. Here’s the breakdown of winners and losers.

Coaches Who Won Their Debut

Luby DiMeolo – 1934
Joe Bach – 1935
Johnny “Blood” McNally – 1937
Jock Sutherland – 1946
Buddy Parker – 1957
Chuck Noll – 1969
Bill Cowher – 1992
Mike Tomlin – 2007

Coaches Who Lost Their Debut

Forrest “Jap” Douds – 1933
Jim Leonard – 1940
John Michelosen – 1948
Mike Nixon – 1965

Coaches Who Tied Their Debut

Walt Kiesling – 1940
Bill Austin – 1966

As a point of clarification, Kiesling took over for McNally four games into the 1939 season. That was on an interim basis, with his first year as full-time head coach coming in 1940 and playing to a 7-7 tie against the Chicago Cardinals.

The last Steeler to lose his debut came long ago with Mike Nixon in 1965. Bill Austin tied his debut with Noll, Cowher, and Tomlin all victorious in their first time out. Noll famously won his debut before Pittsburgh lost its final 13 games. Better days awaited.

Two other debut notables.

Biggest Margin Of Victory

Mike Tomlin: 34-7 Over Browns 2007

Worst Margin Of Defeat

Mike Nixon: 41-9 To Packers 1965

Tomlin has the largest win in a debut. The NFL’s youngest coach dispatched the Cleveland Browns to open up 2007. Pittsburgh raced out to a 17-0 first-quarter lead, forced five turnovers, and held the Browns to just 221 yards of total offense.

Nixon sat on the other side. Vince Lombardi greeted him to the head coaching world with a 32-point defeat. Pittsburgh couldn’t sustain a close first half and allowed 34 points over the final 30 minutes. Pittsburgh turned the ball over four times, and Bart Starr threw two touchdowns in the win. Nixon would quickly prove to be in over his head and was fired after the season.

By any margin, all Mike McCarthy cares about is winning. If so, he’ll become the fourth consecutive Steelers coach to have a cheerful debut. If he can’t beat the Atlanta Falcons, he’ll join a forgotten list of names.