The Pittsburgh Steelers are having a rare 2026 offseason as the franchise is looking for a new head coach after Mike Tomlin stepped down from his role. The coach resigned after another playoff loss, and it seems like a decision that will pay off for all parties involved. Pittsburgh gets to move on as a franchise while Tomlin gets to spend more time with his family, potentially pursuing a high-paying job in television. This leaves the Steelers in a very pivotal time as an organization. A lot has been said about the franchise only having three head coaches since 1969, and the Steelers will hope to continue that level of success.
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Steelers' Art Rooney II and Omar Khan look on after making a draft pick.
A lot comes with Tomlin stepping down as the head coach in Pittsburgh. Whoever is hired as the next coach is going to want to bring in his own staff, although he could retain some guys that were in Pittsburgh already. No assistant coaches from the Steelers' staff in 2025 are guaranteed a job for 2026 however, and they have all been granted permission to search for employment elsewhere. Danny Smith already landed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kimberly A. Martin of ESPN spoke on SportsCenter on Wednesday morning. She broke down the meeting between General Manager Omar Khan, Team President Art Rooney II, and the rest of the coaching staff after the news of Tomlin stepping down broke, and they delivered a stern message.
"GM Omar Khan, Art Rooney II, they took those coaches in a meeting," Martin explained. "Omar Khan said, 'Listen, your emails are done after this week, by next week. Clean out your offices. The new head coach may keep you. He may not.' A lot of coaches kind of looked around like, 'Okay, do we have a job? Are we still here?' There was a lot of confusion."
Khan seemingly made it clear to the remaining coaching staff that they would not be retained unless chosen by the new head coach, which is probably a good thing for the Steelers. Pittsburgh has been far too mediocre in recent years, and a complete overhaul is probably what is needed. The coaching staff can now get younger and more innovative, which is something fans have been begging for for years.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan takes part in the NFL Draft at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, PA.
This messaging from Khan might have seemed a little bit harsh, but the executive got straight to the point. He was direct with his staff and explained that they would be allowed to search for employment elsewhere while Pittsburgh conducted a search for a new head coach.
Martin also shared that there was some confusion with the message from the team's brass, but that might have just been because of the shock and surprise that came with Tomlin stepping down. Whenever there is a coaching change, assistant coaches should probably expect to move on elsewhere, as it is not often that many coaches are kept on a staff with a new head coach. That can especially be true in Pittsburgh, as its not often assistant coaches get hired to do bigger jobs elsewhere.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan looks on as the team sets up in front of fans to workout at the annual Friday Night Lights training camp practice in Latrobe, PA.
Steelers Have A Few Names To Consider Keeping In Pittsburgh
Every decision on the new coaching staff is probably going to come down to the new head coach. Oftentimes, a head-coaching candidate already has a potential staff filled out, and that is what is gone over during interviews with organizations. However, the Steelers do have a couple names that should be considered for the 2026 staff. Those names include Running Backs Coach Eddie Faulkner and Outside Linebackers Coach Denzel Martin. Both have done a great job with young talent, and both have gotten more than expected out of their specific groups.
What do you think about Khan's message to the coaching staff? Let us know in the comments below!
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