It's harder to become Steelers head coach than it is to become Pope

Billy Heyen

It's harder to become Steelers head coach than it is to become Pope image

The Pittsburgh Steelers don't change head coaches often.

In fact, since 1970, there have been twice as many popes in the Catholic Church as there have been Steelers head coaches.

The ratio will shift slightly now. Mike Tomlin has stepped away after 19 years at the helm in Pittsburgh.

He was preceded by Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll. It's been just those three guys in 65 years.

No word on whether the Rooney family plans to give Pope Leo XIV a call for the open position.

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The Steelers have taken a particular approach that has led to these long coaching tenures: Noll, Cowher and Tomlin were all 37 years old or younger when they were hired.

Popes are usually chosen much later in their careers. It's tough to put together a tenure with the length of one of these Steelers coaches.

Tomlin just coached 19 years before stepping away. He never had a losing season. You wouldn't quite call that being infallible, but it's not bad.

Even an infallible coach of the Steelers wouldn't have been able to make up for the relatively underwhelming QBs of recent years, from Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett to Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers.

The Steelers have to figure out quarterback to make sure the next head coach has success. Even Pope Leo XIV wouldn't win a Super Bowl with a journeyman, a bust or an over-the-hill veteran at the most important position in sports.

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Staff Writer