Ex-Steelers Coach Mark Whipple Heard Rumors Centered Around Him And Kenny Pickett Reuniting For 2023

Way before the Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 season came to a premature end, fans and analysts were speculating on the fate of the much-maligned offensive coordinator, Matt Canada. Canada, who just finished his second season as the OC, was previously the Steelers quarterbacks coach for one year, has come under fire for poor offensive performances. 

During his two years as OC, he has worked with three different QB's: Ben Roethlisberger, Mitch Trubisky, and Kenny Pickett. There were serious inconsistencies and concerns with all three quarterbacks. To many, it seemed as though the Steelers offense was predictable and flat. Fans have PTSD from hearing the words "jet sweep." There was hope, by many, that Canada would be released during the bye week and then that he would be fired at the end of the season. He wasn't. 

Did The Steelers Have A Familiar Name On The OC Replacement List?

The favorite pastime in Steeler Nation, while waiting for Canada's fate to be decided, was to argue about his theoretical replacement. Lots of names were bounced around, but one name came up frequently and actually made some sense, at least on paper. That name is Mark Whipple. 

Whipple has had a long career coaching football at every level. This includes a stint as the QB coach for a very young Roethlisberger from 2004-06. That wasn't his only experience in the Steel City. Whipple was also the OC/QB coach at the University of Pittsburgh from 2019-2021. While he was at Pitt, he worked with their then-QB, Pickett. 

Heavy on Steelers recently had an opportunity to interview Whipple and ask him about the rumors of him coming back to Pittsburgh. He is currently an OC at Nebraska. 

Whipple said that he doesn't keep up with all the rumors around the league and that he isn't in the know. According to Whipple, he found out about the rumor from a custodian at Nebraska and said he never put any stock in it. 

Now, he says he only offers his services to Pickett as a sounding board and mentor. Whipple says he doesn't get involved in the behind-the-scenes drama:

"It's more that [Pickett] has got somebody to bounce things off of," Whipple said. "I know what Pittsburgh's like and I know Kenny. I know where his head is."

Whipple credits Pickett with being a smart, hard-working, and persistent player. He is driven to achieve and sets goals for himself. 

"He's a competitor and a talented guy, a mature guy. As I told him, I wished for him to get to the playoffs just because that's another step, different level. I wanted that for him, but he'll get there. He's a worker."

We know now that Whipple was not offered the job, nor was anyone else. The team announced it was retaining Canada on January 18th. There is no indication that the team was actually considering Whipple either. There is always some concern about a coach who has bounced around as much as he has during his career. Frankly, they did not offer him a job when the spot was open before Canada. 

He did drop an interesting tidbit though while making it clear that he would not comment specifically on the Canada situation. He commented that there is no reason to keep a coordinator just to make it easier for Pickett. During Pickett's time at Pitt, he had two coordinators in three years and did just fine learning the system.

"Kenny's smart enough that that's just a change of terminology," he explained. "Sometimes that helps guys and sometimes it doesn't." 

We have seen evidence of that football intelligence from Pickett. He picks the brains of defensive coaches, has an office at the facility to study film, and made a nearly miraculous turnaround after the bye week. 

Right now, fans can only hope that the progress we saw at the end of last season is continued on into the beginning of the next one. 

Do you think Whipple has what it takes to be the OC in Pittsburgh? How do you think Canada will fare this upcoming season? Click to comment below. 

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