Bombshell: Steelers shake up coaching staff

[WindyCitySteel]

By allowing ILB coach Aaron Curry, who’s contract had apparently expired, to make a lateral move to the New York Football Jets. Boy, when they say they’re not satisfied with how the season ended and change is coming, they’re not kidding.

I wonder which local guy or low level intern they’ll promote to fill his big shoes?

https://steelersdepot.com/2025/02/kozora-possible-coaching-replacements-for-steelers-ilb-coach-aaron-curry/

[WindyCitySteel]

Don’t blame the assistants — Tomlin has his guys. I think this lends credence to the idea that Rooney had to step in to fire Canada, which happened on a Tuesday after they let Canada come in to work the previous day. If Tomlin wanted to fire him it would have happened earlier.

https://steelersdepot.com/2025/02/rooney-confirms-tomlin-in-charge-of-making-coaching-staff-changes/

[Captain Lemming]

Don’t blame the assistants — Tomlin has his guys. I think this lends credence to the idea that Rooney had to step in to fire Canada, which happened on a Tuesday after they let Canada come in to work the previous day. If Tomlin wanted to fire him it would have happened earlier.

https://steelersdepot.com/2025/02/ro...staff-changes/

I don’t think there was any lying there. I do not think for one moment Tomlin was happy with Canada. NOBODY ON THE PLANET thought he was doing a good job. The Steelers under Dan do not like to do mid contract firing. We ALL knew that. That is a money thing, not an evaluation thing.

I suspect the timing was because Rooney got so fed up that is when Tomlin was finally ALLOWED to fire Canada like ANYONE with two eyes would do.

If Tomlin was truly happy with Canada YET GOT EXTENDED by Rooney we might as well give up on the Steelers as Tomlin would not be the only football idiot.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

I don’t think there was any lying there. I do not think for one moment Tomlin was happy with Canada. NOBODY ON THE PLANET thought he was doing a good job. The Steelers under Dan do not like to do mid contract firing. We ALL knew that. That is a money thing, not an evaluation thing.

I suspect the timing was because Rooney got so fed up that is when Tomlin was finally ALLOWED to fire Canada like ANYONE with two eyes would do.

If Tomlin was truly happy with Canada YET GOT EXTENDED by Rooney we might as well give up on the Steelers as Tomlin would not be the only football idiot.

I agree with this. I believe that the over-arching determining factor in Pittsburgh comes down to money. It is why I'm so sure that there is no way Tomlin is fired for at least two years. The contract extension cemented him. Obviously the owner loves him enough to give him the contract in the first place, but that contract now guarantees that he will not be gone unless on his own terms.

[WindyCitySteel]

I don’t think there was any lying there. I do not think for one moment Tomlin was happy with Canada. NOBODY ON THE PLANET thought he was doing a good job. The Steelers under Dan do not like to do mid contract firing. We ALL knew that. That is a money thing, not an evaluation thing.

I suspect the timing was because Rooney got so fed up that is when Tomlin was finally ALLOWED to fire Canada like ANYONE with two eyes would do.

If Tomlin was truly happy with Canada YET GOT EXTENDED by Rooney we might as well give up on the Steelers as Tomlin would not be the only football idiot.

Oh stop it already. Tomlin was perfectly happy with his foot soldier carrying out his orders.

https://www.si.com/nfl/steelers/news/mike-tomlin-replies-pittsburgh-steelers-fans-fire-canada

While Tomlin heard the fans, and even discussed how the offensive struggles are becoming a concerning pattern ([url]https://www.si.com/nfl/steelers/news/mike-tomlin-acknowledges-pittsburgh-steelers-offense-needs-fixed[/url]), he still feels confident in his coordinator.

"I don’t share their concern because of my perspective. I’m a part of the process, when you’re apart of the process, it’s less troublesome to you," Tomlin said.

[Northern_Blitz]

I don’t think there was any lying there. I do not think for one moment Tomlin was happy with Canada. NOBODY ON THE PLANET thought he was doing a good job. The Steelers under Dan do not like to do mid contract firing. We ALL knew that. That is a money thing, not an evaluation thing.

I suspect the timing was because Rooney got so fed up that is when Tomlin was finally ALLOWED to fire Canada like ANYONE with two eyes would do.

If Tomlin was truly happy with Canada YET GOT EXTENDED by Rooney we might as well give up on the Steelers as Tomlin would not be the only football idiot.

Good to see you Cap.

This is the most reasonable answer I think.

Tomlin gets the blame for hiring Canada IMO.

But I think not firing him earlier is because that's team policy (Rooney).

[Northern_Blitz]

Oh stop it already. Tomlin was perfectly happy with his foot soldier carrying out his orders.

https://www.si.com/nfl/steelers/news/mike-tomlin-replies-pittsburgh-steelers-fans-fire-canada

Yep. This is just like how politicians always tell the truth when asked questions in press conferences.

[WindyCitySteel]

Yep. This is just like how politicians always tell the truth when asked questions in press conferences.

He watched it for 2 2/3 seasons and didn’t do a thing but defend it until Rooney stepped in.

[NorthCoast]

During Tomlin's tenure, the Steelers average 'Points For' rank was 15.4, and 'Points Against' was 8.4. Those teams had average win totals of 10.2 games.

As it happens, the 2024 Steelers were almost Tomlin's dead average in both ranks.

16th in Points For, and 8th Points Against, and lo and behold, they had 10 wins.

The defensive rank has a very slightly higher effect on win totals than does the offensive rank. And that is with most of Tomlin's years with a HOF QB. You would think with that kind of QB horsepower his team's offensive ranks would have been much higher.

Math don't lie.

[whatever]

Wow, the Steelers aren’t even trying to fool fans into believing this years scapegoat candidate.

[Northern_Blitz]

He watched it for 2 2/3 seasons and didn’t do a thing but defend it until Rooney stepped in.

We know what he did publicly. We have no idea what happened privately.

He was the first coach or coordinator fired mid-season since like the Nixon administration. And we also very rarely fire coordinators in the offseason, instead waiting for contracts to run out (through at least Cowher and Tomlin).

It's pretty clearly a team policy.

You don't have to blame absolutely everything on Tomlin (well...apparently you do, but you shouldn't).

As I said above, I think he gets the blame for hiring Canada.

[Captain Lemming]

Oh stop it already. Tomlin was perfectly happy with his foot soldier carrying out his orders.

https://www.si.com/nfl/steelers/news/mike-tomlin-replies-pittsburgh-steelers-fans-fire-canada

If you know you cannot fire someone until his contract is up and you are asked your opinion of him what are you supposed to say Windy?

He is trying to win games, he is not throwing him under the bus and undermine him to the players CANADA STILL HAS TO COACH.

Question Windy. When have you EVER SEEN a head coach be anything but complementary of his current coordinator? Even one who was about to be fired?

[WindyCitySteel]

If you know you cannot fire someone until his contract is up and you are asked your opinion of him what are you supposed to say Windy?

He is trying to win games, he is not throwing him under the bus and undermine him to the players CANADA STILL HAS TO COACH.

Question Windy. When have you EVER SEEN a head coach be anything but complementary of his current coordinator? Even one who was about to be fired?

But they did fire him before his contract was up, after pressure from above. He doesn’t have to put him on full blast but to say he’s not concerned week after week tells you that is was exactly the offense he wanted.

I posted comments from Tomlin in another thread after the 44-38 win over Cincy — a win that caused a lot of CL dunking on Windy, if I recall, saying that of course Tomlin wants a high scoring offense — that showed how uncomfortable Tomlin was with that kind of game.

Mike Tomlin gets the coordinators and QBs he wants.

[Northern_Blitz]

But they did fire him before his contract was up, after pressure from above. He doesn’t have to put him on full blast but to say he’s not concerned week after week tells you that is was exactly the offense he wanted.

I posted comments from Tomlin in another thread after the 44-38 win over Cincy — a win that caused a lot of CL dunking on Windy, if I recall, saying that of course Tomlin wants a high scoring offense — that showed how uncomfortable Tomlin was with that kind of game.

Mike Tomlin gets the coordinators and QBs he wants.

This is the part you're making up.

It's equally likely that the pressure was coming from below.

And we know that there was significant pressure from outside the building too.

And given the historic nature of the firing, it certainly seems plausible that it's team policy not to fire guys. But Rooney finally relented.

[WindyCitySteel]

This is the part you're making up.

It's equally likely that the pressure was coming from below.

And we know that there was significant pressure from outside the building too.

No, Ed Bouchette and Gerry Dulac “made that up”. I trust them and their internal sources over anyone here.