Soon after Mike Tomlin stepped down as the HC for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the conversation with James Harrison about his HC stance shifted completely. Appearing on Deebo & Joe and Nightcap, the former Steelers star was asked by a fan whether he’d reach out to ownership about replacing Tomlin. Instead of dodging the question, he laid everything on the table.

“They want me. I don’t know how bad they want me,” Harrison said on Thursday. “The problem is, I ain’t had no head coaching experience in the NFL. Now, that right there, as it pertains to what’s going on in Miami, that would be against my own rule. So, with that being said, we did go with Mike Tomlin as a first-time head coach, and that was a good decision. So, we also did (Bill) Cowher. So, I think that I would be a great decision for the head coach. But here’s the problem: I need more than hardball money.”

That comment ties directly into the Steelers’ long-standing hiring pattern. In more than five decades, Pittsburgh has had just three head coaches: Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Tomlin. And all three were hired without prior NFL head-coaching experience. Now, even without head-coaching experience, Harrison sees himself as fitting the same mold.

The contrast, however, is hard to ignore. Noll, Cowher, and Tomlin all climbed the coaching ladder before taking over. Harrison, on the other hand, has no coaching experience whatsoever. However, that gap doesn’t seem to bother him much. What does matter, in his view, is compensation and authority. Harrison made it clear he’s not interested in a symbolic opportunity or a discounted deal. He wants real power, real respect, and real money. Both for himself and his coaching staff.

“How’d you expect me to come in there after playing the game as a player, making the money I made,” James Harrison added. “You didn’t expect me to come in there and spend, I spent a lot of time. I was there at 4:30 in the morning. I didn’t leave till six in the evening. Now, I’m gonna have to spend more time with that because I got to do everything. I got to have my hands on everything. So, I need $25-$30 million a year.”

He later added that his demands wouldn’t stop there. Harrison said he’d want around $20 million annually for his coaching staff as well. Taken as a whole, the comments felt more like a tongue-in-cheek flex than a serious negotiation stance. And realistically, it’s hard to see the Pittsburgh Steelers pursuing a first-time coach with zero coaching background, especially while actively interviewing experienced candidates to replace Tomlin.

The Steelers interviewed Mike McCarthy to replace Mike Tomlin

Ever since Mike Tomlin stepped down, the Steelers have kept their head-coaching search fairly narrow when it comes to offense-minded candidates. For context, their interest has leaned toward just a couple of offensive-minded options. One is Klay Kubiak from the San Francisco 49ers. The other is a much more established name, former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy.

On Wednesday, Pittsburgh officially confirmed that McCarthy has already taken a major step in the process. “We have completed an in-person interview with Mike McCarthy for our head coach position,” the team shared on social media.

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Now 62, McCarthy brings one of the most extensive résumés among available candidates. He spent 12 seasons in Green Bay, compiling a 125–77 regular-season record and a 10–8 postseason mark, along with a Super Bowl title. He later took over in Dallas in 2020, where he went 49–35 in the regular season but struggled in January, finishing just 1–3 in the playoffs.

Now, after a year away from coaching, McCarthy is back in the mix. And Pittsburgh appears to be a legitimate option. With that interview complete, McCarthy becomes the second candidate to meet Pittsburgh in person. The Steelers previously conducted an in-person interview with Brian Flores of the Minnesota Vikings. They’re also expected to bring in Anthony Weaver from the Miami Dolphins for a third in-person meeting.

For now, Pittsburgh continues to work methodically through its shortlist. And as the process unfolds, the league waits to see who becomes just the fourth head coach in Steelers history since 1969.