Steelers reportedly request to interview three more head coaching candidates
Just days after Mike Tomlin surprised Pittsburgh and the football world with his decision to step down as head coach of the Steelers, the organization's search for his replacement is reportedly going full steam ahead.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Steelers have requested interviews with three different defensive coordinators: Green Bay's Jeff Hafley, Carolina's Ejiro Evero, and the Chargers' Jesse Minter.
Steelers one of a few teams requesting Jeff Hafley
The Steelers are just one of a few teams that have requested an interview with the Packers' defensive coordinator.
The 46-year-old has been with the Packers since 2024, and this past season, they ranked 11th in points allowed and 12th in yards allowed.
Prior to his time in Green Bay, Hafley was the head coach for Boston College from 2020 to 2023, compiling a record of 22-26 in those four seasons.
Along with the Steelers, Hafley has also interviewed for the head coaching position with the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins.
Ejiro Evero brings plenty of NFL experience
Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers' defensive coordinator, 45-year-old Ejiro Evero, has been in the NFL in some capacity since 2007.
He originally spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a defensive quality control coach from 2007 to 2009. He took one season off from the NFL, when he was the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at the University of Redlands in 2010.
In 2011, he returned to the NFL, where he joined the San Francisco 49ers as a quality control coach, offensive assistant, and then a defensive assistant. After five years in San Francisco, he went on to Green Bay, where he served as a defensive quality control coach.
Following his time in Green Bay, he was a safeties coach for the Rams from 2017 until 2020, and then in 2022, he got his first coordinator job when he was named the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator.
He has been with the Panthers since 2023.
Jesse Minter is one of the hottest candidates in this cycle
Finally, with the Steelers requesting an interview with Chargers' defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, they're throwing their hat in the ring for a candidate who has been requested by each team with a vacancy this offseason.
This was the 42-year-old's second season with the Chargers, and he helped them to a season where they allowed just 19.8 points per game, good for 8th best in the league.
Minter followed Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh from Michigan, where they won the 2023 National Championship together.
These three candidates come just one day after the Steelers had reportedly requested interviews with Los Angeles Rams coaches: offensive assistant and passing game specialist Nathan Scheelhaase and defensive coordinator Chris Shula.
Teams requesting interviews with Steelers OC Arthur Smith
On Wednesday, when Steelers President Art Rooney II spoke about Tomlin's departure, he said that he believed there weren't any internal candidates for the head coaching vacancy, which includes offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
"I don't think anyone on our current staff is a candidate," Rooney said. "Maybe a candidate to stay on the staff, depending on what the new head coach wants to do."
According to Rapoport, the Detroit Lions have requested permission to speak with Smith for their open offensive coordinator position, and Smith is still "in the mix" for multiple head coaching jobs, including the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals.