In the course of its existence, the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise has had sixteen head coaches. Originally established in 1933 as the Pittsburgh Pirates[1], the team renamed itself the Steelers before the 1941 season to honor the city’s steel-making legacy.[2] Walt Kiesling held the position of head coach for three distinct terms, while Joe Bach held it for two. Because so many players served in World War II, the Steelers combined with Philadelphia and Chicago in 1943 and 1944, respectively, to form a new team.[2] Kiesling shared these seasons with
coaching responsibilities with Phil Handler and Greasy Neale[3], who are not on this list.
After struggling[clarification needed] for a large portion of the team’s early history, Jock Sutherland led the team to its first winning season in 1942.[2] The Steelers faced the Philadelphia Eagles in their inaugural postseason match in 1947, during Sutherland’s tenure.[2] Of the 16 head coaches, ten—including Kiesling, John McNally, and Chuck Noll—saw their entire professional coaching tenure with the team. Noll has also been elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[4] Noll retired in 1991, one of only four men to lead the same team for 23 years.[2] Bill Cowher, the Steelers’ fifth Super Bowl champion in 2005, was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2020 after taking over for Noll as coach. This was the Steelers’ sixth Super Bowl triumph.
