When it comes to stability in coaching, no team does it better than the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since 1969, the organization with six Super Bowl victories has had just three head coaches. They will soon hire their fourth after parting ways with Mike Tomlin.
In comparison, the New York Jets have hired eight head coaches since the turn of the century.
Gang Green fans have grown frustrated with the lack of stability in their coaching ranks, and even more so during their 15-year playoff drought, the longest active postseason drought in North American sports.
The Jets would be wise to follow the key elements the Steelers have emphasized in their coaching staff. A conversation between Pittsburgh owner Dan Rooney and Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay in 2023 laid the very groundwork the Jets should build off of.
The appeal of hiring young coaches
The Jets are not the only team with highly controversial ownership. In 2023, the now-late Irsay was in legal trouble and struggled to field a competent football team.
He went to the Rooney family in search of answers on how to fix his coaching staff. The advice from the top man in the family should resonate with every NFL organization about the rationale for hiring young coaches.
“Jim, they don’t have as much stuff to unlearn,” Rooney said. “They’re not encumbered by these things that they’ve learned and gotten comfortable with. They’re able to be more free in the direction they want to go.”
Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin never had prior head coaching experience before being hired by Pittsburgh. Many of the Steelers’ coordinators over the years, including Dick LaBeau, Tyler Austin, and Bruce Arians, also had little experience before their appointment.
It’s a lesson the Jets can learn from, especially as they continue to look through candidates for their defensive coordinator job.
Of the current candidates for their defensive play-caller role, seven do not have play-calling or coordinator experience. Only Wink Martindale has that experience, running defenses in Baltimore and New York.
As Rooney pointed out, though, experience does not always lead to greatness. Coaches with years of work under their belt may be more headstrong on what they want to do with play-calls and scheme. They are less likely to adapt to personnel already on the roster.
Young coaches, meanwhile, bring fresh ideas and schemes that can adapt to certain players already on the roster. Not every inexperienced coach can handle big jobs, but they are more likely to bring new ideas than a coach who’s already made a name for himself.
The conversation between Rooney and Irsay happened almost three years ago. But it’s the kind of conversation that every NFL team should take to heart.
For the Jets, they should use Rooney’s perspective as the blueprint for finding the right coaches for their young team.
