STEELERS 101

Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers nation has had some time to digest the hiring of Todd Haley as the next Offensive Coordinator, some information has surfaced on exactly who made the hire. From the outset of the coaching staff shake-up, many pundits and fans jumped and pointed to Art Rooney. As it turns out, Head Coach Mike Tomlin made the call on who would be on the staff, not Rooney, a fact that should be a welcome sight for Steelers fans. Initially, it was easy to point fingers at Rooney, as the franchise sat back and quietly maneuvered its way through these coaching staff changes. However, a quick glance back at the offseason (and past off-season’s), the truth behind the situation may be clear. The hints to this coordinator change started at the end of season press conference, when Tomlin, said that he expected the both coordinators would return, but cautioned that no decisions had been finalized. On top of that, he was adamant that QB Ben Roethlisberger would not be part of the hiring (if changes were made).

For Steelers fans, the groundwork for this change was placed at that moment. Two years ago, it was Roethlisberger who charged in and saved Bruce Arians' job, this time he would not have the chance to save it. Honestly, the change was needed and Tomlin had the same problems offensively in 2011 that he had in 2009; the inability to run the ball effectively. Yes, the Steelers have to weapons to be an explosive offense, but if they cannot make critical first downs and show some type of effective running game (or the ability to stick with the running game when it is working), then their ability to move forward in the playoffs again will be in jeopardy. In fact, it was the inability of sticking to the running game in Denver that may have been the death nail in Arians' coffin.

During the coaching search, officially, very little was released on anything going on behind the scenes. Sure, many experts and insiders weighed in on who they believed would be on the list, and who was being talked to, but in reality no one really knew except Tomlin and the Steelers front office. It was funny hearing Tomlin talk about his talks with Haley, as many reported that they only spoke once prior to the hiring. Not to mention that statement was backed up by both Rooney and General Manager Kevin Colbert in the days since the hiring.

Hearing that cleared up some mystery, Tomlin saw changes needed made and he made them. While things on offense should not show wholesale changes in 2012, with many explosive components returning there should at least be a little bit of life put into what at times appeared stale. In Haley, Tomlin found a different breed of coordinator, with a record of accomplishment that shows he is not a system-specific coach. He has demonstrated the ability to adjust his offensive philosophy to match the talent he was able to put on the field. He will also challenge his players to be the best, something Arians never did for the entire offense, maybe the quarterback, but not the offense. If Haley can come in and light a fire on the offense, with that talent, the sky could be the limit and the Steelers will again be Super Bowl contenders.

Tags: Art Rooney II, Football, Mike Tomlin, NFL, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Steelers, Todd Haley

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