The Pittsburgh Steelers' offense thrived under Todd Haley, who was hired as offensive coordinator on February 13, 2012. Over his solid six-season tenure, the Steelers consistently ranked among the league's best offenses. Haley was the first offensive coordinator in 13 years to be hired from outside the organization. However, after the 2017 NFL season, the Steelers chose not to renew his contract, which expired on January 17, 2018.
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Former Steelers Offensive Coordinator, Todd Haley smiles on the practice field as the team prepares for a game at the UPMC Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, PA.
Haley's tenure was marked by impressive performance, with the Steelers finishing as a top 10 scoring offense in his final four seasons—something the team hadn't achieved since their dominance in the 1970s. Reports of behind-the-scenes tension between quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Haley, as noted by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, may have influenced the decision not to renew his contract.
During his time in Pittsburgh, Haley worked with a stellar group of offensive players, including the famed "Killer B's" trio: Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell, and Antonio Brown, along with other key offensive weapons.
In an interview on 93.7 The Fan, NFL reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala shared intriguing insights about Haley's unique approach to game planning, as revealed to her by Haley himself.
"Todd Haley told me once that every Friday, he used to say to Mike Tomlin, 'How many points do we need?' And based on that, he would sort of figure out a plan of, 'Where should we sort of be? Run or pass?' And if you remember the best Todd Haley years, they could throw the cr*p out of the ball down with JuJu Smith-Schuster, that whole slew of group. They could also run the ball really well behind Le'Veon Bell."
Kinkhabwala revealed that a few days before game day, Todd Haley would ask Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin how many points the team would need to win.
Based on Tomlin's response, Haley would formulate his game plan. During the games, then Quarterbacks Coach Randy Fichtner would assist Haley in implementing the strategy.
"He used to have Randy Fichtner in the box, kind of keep him on track at the end of the first quarter. Where are we run and pass? Where are we run and pass in the second quarter? Just to kind of get a sense. Now as the game unfolded, you never have to stay a slave to whatever it is that you decided. I always thought it was interesting that the offensive coordinator is going in the game thinking, ‘What do we think we will need this week?’”
Haley's method for game planning was certainly unique and interesting. He would ask Tomlin the amount of points the team would need to win the game. Of course this would change week to week based on the Steelers' opponents.
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Former Steelers Offensive Coordinator, Todd Haley during his time with the Cleveland Browns.
Based on Tomlin's answer, Haley would devise his game plan, adjusting as needed during the game. This approach proved effective, as the Steelers consistently ranked among the league's top offenses under Haley's leadership.
Steelers' Todd Haley Struggled After Leaving Pittsburgh
After his contract with the Steelers wasn't renewed, Haley was hired as the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, but was fired during the 2018 season. Since then, he has worked as an offensive coordinator for a high school team and briefly served as the head coach for the Memphis Showboats in the USFL during the 2023 season before being fired.
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Former Steelers Offensive Coordinator, Todd Haley yells during a regular season game.
Haley's career has faced challenges since his departure from the Steelers. In contrast, Steelers fans have endured the struggles of Matt Canada's offense and now look back fondly on Haley's tenure. As the Steelers enter the 2024 season, they are hopeful that new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith can revitalize the offense, and fans are excited to see his new approach in action.
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