The Pittsburgh Steelers have already lined up several interviews with coaches who could replace Mike Tomlin. The franchise is looking for its fourth head coach since 1969, and it figures to be a thorough search. One name that was initially brought up as a potential fit for the Steelers was Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. However, he recently reaffirmed that he’s not leaving his current job. Despite that, insider Albert Breer believes that the Steelers are the only team that could make Freeman reconsider jumping to the NFL.

“If he’s gonna leave Notre Dame, it’s for Ohio State or the NFL,” Breer said Wednesday on Sports Illustrated’s YouTube channel. “I don’t think he had any intention to go back on his word that he gave Notre Dame. The Giants and Titans did reach out and did express interest, and I think they were in on Marcus Freeman. Marcus decided that this was not the right time; they’ve got a really good team coming back.

“I think if there’s one team that would give him pause and make him think, ‘Do I really want to walk away from this?’ and might cause him to go to Notre Dame, and I hesitate to say go back on your word because I don’t think he’s like that, but [he] would [say] ‘This is just too much. This is too unique a situation,’ I think it’s Pittsburgh.”

Freeman has been Notre Dame’s head coach for four full seasons, and he’s had a lot of success in that time. That includes getting to the National Championship game in 2024 and picking up at least 10 wins in each of the last three seasons.

Before that, Freeman spent a year as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator. His roots are on that side of the ball, going back to when he played linebacker at Ohio State. That’s likely a point in his favor for the Steelers’ gig. Their last three head coaches have all had a defensive background.

Also, Freeman has built a solid reputation in recent years. Some people have compared him to Tomlin with the way he motivates players. Maybe that could intrigue the Steelers, who didn’t want Tomlin to leave.

However, prying Freeman away from Notre Dame looks like it’s going to be an issue. He’s loyal to the program, which is admirable. Sometimes, college coaches don’t hesitate to jump ship when other offers are presented to them.

Being the Steelers’ head coach is different, though. While the team has struggled in recent years, it’s still one of the most storied franchises in the league. Becoming the Steelers’ fourth head coach since 1969 would mean something. Also, it would come with job security. Art Rooney II has shown a lot of patience in the past.

It remains to be seen if the Steelers will pursue Freeman. All of the coaches that they’ve interviewed so far have been NFL names. The Steelers might not want their next head coach to have zero NFL coaching experience. Freeman has proven himself capable, though.